


Make a Saint of Me

by TallQueen



Category: Tiny Meat Gang (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels, Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Angel!Cody, But it's for plot's sake and also I'm not a medical major, Cody doesn't understand sexuality, Deal with a Devil, Doctor!Noel, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love, Lucifer is A Little Gay Sorry, M/M, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Noel is bi, Not Quite Christianity, Pining, Romance, Spock might be Jesus, oops I made Kelsey a Fate, questionable medical practices, sugar gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-10-26 08:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 36,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20739248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallQueen/pseuds/TallQueen
Summary: "A young man knelt at the foot of an onyx staircase, ignoring the throb of pain in his kneecaps as they pressed into the unforgiving stone. His sweaty hair clung to his forehead, obscuring his vision as he bowed his head. His arms hung limply at his sides. The polished black steps shone dull gold in the dim firelight and reflected his own scared eyes back up at him."Cody has been Thrown, but he can't remember where from. His new mortal body is frail and wounded, he's completely at the mercy of whoever should find him. Noel is a medical student just a few months away from finishing his last residency and getting his Doctorate. He's exhausted, but he can't help himself when it comes to taking care of his mysteriously injured house-guest. Can Noel save someone even the Gods have rejected?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not give this to anyone affiliated with or working for TMG.  
Totally fictional depiction of two bros who just have really really good, kinda gay chemistry.  
I respect Cody, Kelsey, Noel, and Aleena's very real lives and relationships and do not in way intend for this to be taken as a serious story. They're just really good characters? Their relationship is so easy to write cause they're so chill?  
Anyway, enjoy this dumb gay romance.
> 
> -New title taken from My Chemical Romance's "Heaven Help Us"-

_ “You have failed me.” _

_ The finality of the words echoed through the dark chamber. _

_ A young man knelt at the foot of an onyx staircase, ignoring the throb of pain in his kneecaps as they pressed into the unforgiving stone. His sweaty hair clung to his forehead, obscuring his vision as he bowed his head. His arms hung limply at his sides. The polished black steps shone dull gold in the dim firelight and reflected his own scared eyes back up at him. _

_ “Please be merciful! I have served you well before.” _

_ “I gave you two chances to complete this simple task for me,” the disgusted voice replied. “And you have come back to me begging for mercy both times. Empty-handed, both times.” _

_ His fists clenched and his shoulders tensed, ready for the blow that was sure to come. _

_ The standing figure grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked the boy’s head back, a tearful gaze meeting an emotionless one in a moment of complete understanding. “How dare you kneel before me and bow your head? Stare me in the eyes as you accept your fate. You have proven to be worthless to me. There is no mercy for such massive incompetence in my court.” _

_ Tears streamed unbidden from the young man’s eyes. He knew there wasn’t going to be any third chance. _

_ There was a loud ripping sound, followed by what seemed to be an endless scream of pain. _

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter One

When Noel first moved in, the whole apartment had a familiar skunky smell to it. The smell seemed to be embedded in the old green curtains and soaked into the patchy grey carpet of the living room. The issue didn’t bother him much; he’d tried his fair share of stupid shit in his undergrad years, marijuana included. He steam-cleaned the carpet and tossed the heavy faux-velvet curtains in the trash, with the landlord’s permission. After a few weeks of procrastinating, he eventually replaced them with the light blue cotton drapes his Mom had suggested on Amazon. Those simple cosmetic changes seemed to fix the smell for the most part, and it made the apartment look and feel less like a mortuary. 

He’d purchased art from some of his old college buddies, which didn’t always match but made the white walls feel less hygienic. His favorite piece by far was the watercolor drip-painting of a red umbrella. He couldn’t name the emotion it elicited in him, but it was a close neighbor of contentment. 

The faux-wood flooring the bedroom and hallway of the apartment was a lightly stained replication of oak and was easy enough to clean. Noel didn’t tell anyone, but sometimes he’d Swiffer the floors in just his underwear and a shirt a la  _ Risky Business.  _ The bathroom was minuscule, and the walls were painted pale powder-blue. With the black-and-white checkered tile having not seen a re-decorator in many years, the whole room had an air of classic 50’s nostalgia about it. The porcelain tub and sink looked like props from a silent film but were clean and devoid of rust stains or mold; both Noel considered wins. Overall the apartment had a generally creepy vibe to it but had never shown signs of being truly haunted. Noel didn’t aggravate the possibility, though, just in case. 

As our protagonist returned home from his hospital shift, he stood in his rumpled scrubs and glanced around the dimming living room. In that moment he decided:  _ I need to get a cat or something.  _

It was too quiet during the hours he spent in the apartment, either cooking or trying desperately to make up lost hours of sleep. He had recently started feeling like a zombie between all his shifts at the hospital. It was his final semester of residency and he was bone tired. He tossed a bowlful of leftover taco meat in the microwave and started fishing through the fridge for the bag of shredded cheese.  _ There is no way in hell they should legally be allowed to pay me so little for so much work.  _

He wasn’t ungrateful for the job, and he knew he needed the experience now to be a great doctor later, but it was extremely demanding both physically and emotionally and ten dollars an hour wasn’t nearly cutting it. The familiar smell of ground beef and pre-packaged taco seasoning filled the tiny kitchen while Noel rubbed at the back of his neck with the heel of his palm.  _ Well that knot isn’t going anywhere.  _

Just as the microwave began to count the final ten seconds, his phone rang out the opening theme from  _ Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  _ “Well, shit.”

He tapped  _ Answer  _ on the screen while yanking open the microwave before it could sound the alarm and make him sound potentially unprofessional. “Hello?”

“Is this Noel Miller?” a feminine voice asked.

“Yes, may I ask who’s calling?” he requested, keeping his voice as pleasant and patient as possible. Before he could hear the strange woman’s response, however, the world beneath him shuddered suddenly and violently. Noel clung to the edge of the counter for support, dropping his phone on instinct and cringing when it hit the floor.  _ Please, God, don’t let there be a crack on the screen.  _ When the house had finished vibrating enough for him to lean down, he scooped up the phone and evaluated it for damage.  _ Nothing. Good. _

That’s when he heard the god-awful scream. The adrenaline from the earthquake doubled with Noel’s medical training and forced his limbs into action before he could think about any other form of response. He grabbed the first-aid kit from under the sink and sprinted out the front door before he had enough sense to hang up the mystery phone call. He rounded the corner of the apartment building into the tiny “backyard” the building had been allotted by the city. Nothing seemed out of place. The communal grill was standing, lid-closed, next to Mrs. Montgomery’s sliding glass door. Thomas, his neighbor’s six-year-old son, had parked his tricycle in the far corner in its usual spot. The landlord’s dark blue shed stood in the back left corner, housing the push mower, weed-whacker, and building maintenance supplies. The aluminum fence was bent in all the usual places and there didn’t seem to be any intruders. Noel listened as his heart slowed slightly upon his inventory of the situation; he took a moment to tuck the undamaged phone safely in the pocket of his navy scrubs. The building didn’t seem to have any damage from the earthquake, either, and for that he was exceedingly grateful. A lack of broken windows or cracked retaining walls meant that he would get a peaceful week’s rest without construction workers in and out at all hours. Noel had turned his back to the grass patch and taken one step towards the building before the silence was broken once again.

“Help…” 

The request was quiet, some kind of sound that registered between a groan and a sob. Noel’s eyes darted around again, squinting slightly as if it would help clear things up or bring a new detail into focus. His eyebrows furrowed in his concerted effort to  _ notice something, for the love of God.  _

“Shit. Can you describe your surroundings?” he asked the empty space. Maybe there was a kid stuck in a tree or bush? Maybe they had fallen into a sewer drain,  _ IT- _ style? The cry for help sounded deeper, more adult, but panic can have unusual effects on the human body. 

There was no answer except for a short, bitten-off groan of pain. Noel focused on where the sound seemed to come from and let his eyes slow their erratic scanning in favor of focusing on the details of the back section of the yard. There it was! On the corner of the landlord’s shed was a bloody smear. He took off running and slid between the fencepost and the side of the shed so smoothly James Bond would have been jealous. He popped out the other side into the tiny four-car parking lot of the complex. Sitting on the ground, shoulder leaning against the back corner of the building, was a person.

Noel knelt and fished the penlight from his kit, already pulling up the stranger’s right eyelid slightly to check for responsiveness. The eyes were brown, and belonged to a man of indeterminate age (certainly no older than thirty). Both eyes focused, but it took a few seconds more than it should have; this guy could have a concussion or TBI. “Can you understand me?” 

The stranger nodded, but it seemed to agitate his injury and he groaned again. 

“Do you know what day it is?” 

“I’m going to be sick,” the stranger replied. Noel helped him turn to the side to avoid vomiting into his own lap. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright,” Noel comforted. He did a scan of the rest of the stranger’s body, checking for any deep lacerations or contusions. The man was shirtless,  _ definitely _ no older than thirty, and was wearing only what appeared to be a loincloth. Upon further inspection, Noel came to the uncomfortable conclusion that it was not actually a Tarzan-level loincloth. Rather, wrapped around this strange man’s waist was a singular piece of black silk. It might have once been a costume toga, but by now it was decently shredded and barely left anything to the imagination; luckily for Noel this was nothing out of the ordinary. 

“Sir, I’m going to help you stand up. Can you tell me your name?”

“No hospital,” were his first conscious words. His eyes met Noel’s with a surprising intensity and Noel nodded his understanding. This wasn’t the best time to argue. This man needed medical attention urgently. Noel held his arm and allowed him to get steady by leaning against the shed. He swayed slightly as he got to his feet and it took all of Noel’s self control not to attempt carrying him. As he took a half-step forward, Noel took the opportunity to take inventory of his back. 

Noel had never seen anything like this before in nursing school or in the Emergency room at the hospital. Sure, a kid had come in with a nail through his foot this morning but that wasn’t unusual, this was farm country. He’d handled a third degree burn, he’d handled a woman crowning, he’d handled some very awkward and depressing shit in his life but this stranger’s injuries were both frightening  _ and  _ confusing. He began to piece together what might have happened.

Noel startled himself back into reality and managed to carry about half of the stranger’s weight as he leaned heavily against Noel’s shoulder. Noel’s arm was looped low on the man’s waist to avoid the strange wounds he’d sustained as the two limped through the yard together.  _ Please god don’t let Mrs. Montgomery be out and about,  _ Noel prayed. She had an annoying habit of standing in the Landry’s doorway and chatting inanely for hours on end with the listless wife. Someone or something had heard Noel’s urgent prayer, because they made it safely into the apartment without any interference from neighbors or the landlord. Noel deposited the man on one of his two kitchen stools and shoved the first aid kit back under the sink; that shit wasn’t going to cut it. 

“What’s your name?” Noel questioned, retrieving his emergency medical kit out from the cramped bedroom closet. The stranger watched him through slightly clouded vision, still dazed from whatever had happened. 

“Cody.” 

Noel wasn’t expecting that voice. He set the kit down on the counter and pulled out his disinfectants and suture materials. Cody didn’t flinch as he watched Noel approach him with open hands, much like one would deal with a wild animal. Noel knew that before he could properly treat the stranger, he’d have to get some sort of consent. “Alright. Nice to meet you, Cody. My name is Noel. This is my apartment and I am training to be a doctor. I am currently a resident at Topanga Community Hospital, specializing in trauma surgery. May I assist you?”

“Yes,” Cody answered. He was in shock. Noel could see now that the issue with his eyes wasn’t a TBI, he was too controlled and his body was too rigid for anything like that to be taking place. It was absolutely shock, and it was better to get the wound stitched up before the real pain kicked in. He handed Cody a packet of Aspirin and a bottle of water from his fridge. 

“Please take these.”

Cody opened the water bottle with ease but had trouble with the foil packet of pills, so Noel ripped it open with his teeth. He watched Cody tip the pills into his mouth followed by the water, washing it back safely without choking ( _ thank God) _ . Noel finally felt comfortable approaching with the disinfectant. “This is going to hurt, so grab onto the counter if you need to.”

Cody winced when Noel first touched the cloth to his wounds but otherwise stayed perfectly still. “What does it look like back there? Your expression is making me nervous.”

Cody’s sudden observation frightened Noel, who did his best not to jump and irritate the skin he was cleaning. Cody’s voice was higher than Noel’s was; softer somehow. Where Noel had gravel, Cody had melody. “It’s kinda fucked up, dude. Were you skateboarding or something when that earthquake hit?”

“Earthquake?” 

“Yeah. Everything shook really bad for a second? I thought the windows were going to shatter or something,” Noel was trying desperately to keep Cody calm. He had cleaned both of the strange cuts and was starting to suture up the first one.

“But what does it look like?” Cody asked again. 

“Well you have two big lines on your back, my guy. From here-” Noel traced the skin near the wound so Cody could feel the shape without any pain “-to here.” 

The lines went from the outside of Cody’s shoulder blades to the waistband of his pants, forming a disconnected letter ‘V’ on his back. Noel wasn’t sure how wounds so perfectly straight could ever be formed in an accident. His working theory was gang activity; they had assaulted and drugged Cody before marking him and dropping him off behind the apartment. The earthquake had merely been a coincidence, must have aggravated Cody’s wounds, waking him up and causing the scream. He hadn’t seen anything like it, and lucky for him Cody managed to stay calm until he’d finished the sutures completely. 

“Okay, Cody, you’re all stitched up,” Noel said, cleaning up and putting away his home medical kit. 

“Thank you,” Cody nodded, standing and moving for the door. He was teetering slightly on his feet like he was drunk, and Noel ran to catch him. He wrapped a nervous arm around Cody’s waist and led him back to the living room, depositing him onto the overstuffed black bean-bag chair. 

“Listen, dude, I don’t think it’s safe for you to just wander off into the sunset like this. I have tomorrow off and I’d like to stay here and monitor you. You’ve experienced traumatic violence and you don’t remember it. I’m not a psychologist, but I would like to take care of your physical wounds for at least another day or so, if you don’t mind staying here. You can have the couch,” Noel explained. Cody’s eyes were trying to focus on one of Noel’s, and his chin was drooping slightly towards his chest. Clearly he was exhausted. “We can find you a psych ward or something tomorrow if you want. Just nod if you want to stay the night.”

Cody nodded once.

“I’m going to grab you some clothes, alright? I think they should fit you, but the pants might be a little tight. It can’t be helped.”

He leaned Cody gently back against the bean bag and ran to his bedroom. He grabbed a set of grey sweatpants and a red t-shirt from his dresser and a pair of clean underwear from the laundry basket he’d yet to sort or put away.  _ At least it wasn’t wasted procrastination.  _ “Put these on.”

Cody stood shakily and quickly removed what little material was left covering him. Noel shielded his eyes with a shout, “Hey! Warn me when you’re gonna get naked, bro!”

“Sorry,” Cody mumbled, awkwardly limping from one leg to the other as he pulled on the underwear and sweatpants. He resumed his seat in the bean-bag chair before slowly pulling the shirt over his head. His dirty blonde hair was a bird’s nest and Noel reminded himself to offer Cody a brush later. “Thank you for the clothing, Noel.”

“You sure talk funny. Are you like...British or something? Are you a method actor? Is that it? I’m kind of nervous because those wounds look almost too clean to be an accident and I don’t want to be in any sort of contact with gang members,” Noel rambled, making his way back to the kitchen. Cody’s eyelids were drooping. The shock was wearing off, and Noel knew that soon Cody would be exhausted and starving. He draped a blanket loosely around his 24-hour roommate and went to the kitchen to heat up some ramen noodles. He threw away his taco supplies, having long since spoiled on the countertop while he dealt with Cody’s wounds. 

“Are all humans like you?” came Cody’s gentle inquiry. Noel popped his head around the corner from the kitchen and raised an incredulous eyebrow. 

“Humans? Bruh, what are you, an alien or some shit?” Noel chuckled. He was a little nervous about Cody’s behavior. It was unsettling to say the least, and most people weren’t this calm after experiencing such extreme physical trauma. 

“Oh. Uh…” Cody’s pause was long. His eyebrows were furrowed and his fingers tangled and untangled on his lap. “I’m a person.”

“Dude. I’m a little worried about your head after whatever happened to you, okay? I’m going to ask you some basic questions to make sure I don’t have to take you to the emergency room.”

“No hospitals!” Cody nearly shouted, sitting up suddenly in the bean bag. Noel held up his hand, the palm facing Cody: a universal symbol for “calm the fuck down”. 

“If you can answer this basic stuff, you pass the medical standard for a non-concussed person and I won’t take you to the hospital. If you fail this test, I am taking you in. I’ll take you to another county, if you want, but you’re going. Is that a fair deal?”

Cody sighed, his eyes closing briefly. He nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please drop me a comment if you liked it. Positive affirmation from strangers fuels me like nothing else.
> 
> Nothing but mad respect for my Short Kings and their respective real-life partners; thank you for letting me borrow these likenesses for storytelling purposes.


	3. Chapter Two

Cody was exhausted. He knew he didn’t belong in this frail body, that he had Fallen, but he didn’t remember anything about his origins other than his own name. The two cuts down either side of his back weren’t gang activity, but he didn’t know how to tell the kindhearted human who had volunteered to take care of him exactly what the wounds were from. He couldn’t just open up and say that previously he’d had two magnificent wings there instead. He didn’t even remember which side from which he’d been Thrown or for that matter which color those beautiful wings had been; white and soft as Swan-down or black and iridescent like a crow’s wing. 

The human man, who had introduced himself as Noel earlier, narrowed his hazel eyes at Cody and began his medical questions. “What year is it?”

“Twenty-nineteen,” Cody answered quickly. He remembered that much, at least. Noel nodded, looking relieved already.

“Who is the president?”

“Of America? Is that where we are?” Cody replied. He hadn’t had a chance to look at any street signs, but Noel was speaking lightly accented English with lots of slang. That indicated American, possibly Canadian. Noel’s relief disappeared with Cody’s answer.

“You don’t know where you are?”

Cody shook his head, which was a bad decision. He was still dizzy and off-balanced from adjusting to the unusual body and his vision swam. He reached out to Noel for support before he could stop himself and found the palm of his hand resting on a firm forearm until his balance returned. His eyes met Noel’s when he told an aching truth, “But I was kind of just dumped here; it’s not my fault I don’t know where I am.”

Noel’s sympathetic gaze communicated that he understood as his posture relaxed a little. “Well, you’re in California, USA. Do you know who our current president is?”

“The gross orange guy,” Cody answered. He made a gamble, based on Noel’s racially ambiguous combo of naturally tanned skin and dark hair, that he wouldn’t mind Cody’s rude comments about the American political figure. Sure, he was an agent of Evil, which Cody understood, but the human’s methods of stirring up malcontent were too blatant for the angel’s tastes. There was no finesse to his hatred; Cody found it sloppy and inelegant. Sin was supposed to be about the seduction, the Temptation; both Good and Evil understood that it was the natural order of things. Noel’s answering chuckle confirmed his suspicions. 

“Yeah, that guy. I would usually ask for your birth date and confirm it on your ID, but seeing as I found you in like, stripper clothes, I clearly can’t do that. I’ll take you at your word that you’re feeling okay enough to stay here. I don’t know why, because it goes against everything I know as a medical professional, but I have the feeling that taking you in to the emergency room would cause more trouble than either of us can handle at the moment.”

Noel let Cody doze on the bean bag as he laid out a sheet and comforter on the couch. He set down his guest pillow and fluffed it up a little, playing host to the best of his abilities. It was rare that Noel had guests, even if this guest happened to be a passed out homeless guy with a nice bruise forming at his hairline and two odd cuts down his back.

Noel woke Cody up to feed him half a bowl of lukewarm ramen before escorting him to the couch. Cody flopped down, wincing slightly at the pain in his back that his carelessness had caused. Noel wrapped him up like a burrito, tucking the blankets back into the curve of the couch to keep it tight and wrapping the downy comforter around the tops of Cody’s feet, making sure they’d also be warm. He made Cody drink a glass of water and take a sleeping pill, along with another dose of Aspirin. “Sleep tight, weirdo. If you need the bathroom, there’s a toilet and sink in the hall. Maybe tomorrow we can see about getting you a shower or somethin’.”

“Thank you, Noel.”

Cody was asleep in seconds. Noel observed him for a moment, watching the strange boy’s face smooth out as his stress faded into oblivion. His eyes flickered behind the lids, and his mouth was slightly open as he breathed deeply and evenly. Cody could be considered cute, honestly. Cody could be considered  _ pretty goddamn attractive. _ Noel huffed a silent laugh at himself. He was thinking that some strange, injured, potentially gang-related homeless man was attractive. He shook his head clear of odd thoughts and headed off to complete his own nightly ritual. If he was going to take care of Cody, he was going to need a full night’s sleep to do it.

* * *

The following morning, Noel was awoken by the sound of his coffee-maker going off. Between taking care of Cody and taking care of Cody, he was decently sure he hadn’t set it to auto-brew or filled it with beans the previous night. “Shit.”

Before he could pull the coverlet off his body, however, Cody was bouncing through the doorway with a mug in either hand, his dirty-blonde hair poking up and out in every direction. “I hope I didn’t wake you up, but I felt so much better after sleeping that I couldn’t help but make some coffee to celebrate. It’s been so long since I’ve had a cup of coffee.”

“Since when?” Noel asked, sitting up and accepting his mug from Cody. He was handed his green M&M mug, which wasn’t one he used very often. Generally girls who spent the night or came to hang out would use this particular mug, but it made Noel smile internally that Cody had chosen it for him. Cody had his hands wrapped around the body of a grey mug; probably one he’d bought at Target when he first moved in and needed the basics. Wonder what that said about him. Cody answered Noel’s question with one of his own.

“Yo, uh, could I use your shower?” He was looking down at his feet as he made his request, verging on shy. “I feel really gross and I think the dried blood is starting to make this shirt stick to my back. I just can’t tell in the mirror ‘cause they’re both red.”

“Yeah, dude,” Noel said. He set his coffee on the side table and stood up, stretching his arms above his head like he always did. He pretended not to notice Cody’s surreptitious glance at his bare abdomen and chest. “I assumed you’d need to shower sooner or later. Do you feel comfortable being in there alone, or do you want me to sit on the toilet and keep an eye on you in case you get dizzy?”

“Would it be weird if I asked you to sit with me?” Cody asked, shuffling his feet again, suddenly a middle school kid trapped in a grown man’s body. Cody wasn’t sure why, but his frail mortal heart beat more quickly than usual when the handsome human was nearby, or when they made eye contact.  _ Handsome,  _ Cody thought,  _ how odd.  _ He was sure that the problem with his heartbeat would clear up as his physical wounds healed. 

“I’ll wait for you to get in, then tap twice on the wall and I’ll come sit,” Noel instructed. Cody nodded. He deposited his coffee cup next to Noel’s on the small table and made his way into the tiny bathroom. He resisted the sudden human urge to laugh. This didn’t look like any sort of room that should belong to Noel. He undressed quickly, turning the water to a very warm setting before stepping under the spray. Then he reached out and knocked on the wall twice. He heard the door open and shut from behind the white plastic curtain and listened to the gentle  _ creak  _ of Noel settling down on the top of the porcelain toilet seat. “Hey, Cody.”

“Hi, Noel,” Cody replied. The human’s name settled gently on his tongue. It tasted wonderful, like the beginning of the Temptation that comes before Sin. He wanted to hear Noel talk more. “Do you like your job?”

“What? Uh, yeah.” 

“That’s good. You’re very decisive for a human,” Cody stated. 

“You keep saying shit like that and making me think you’re a goddamn alien, bruh.”

“Saying shit like what?” Cody was pouring out a small amount of Noel’s shampoo onto his palm. He gave it a tentative sniff; it smelled spicy but wasn’t overpowering. 

“Shit like  _ for a human  _ or whatever the hell that means.”

Cody shook his head, hitting the plastic shower curtain with some suds from his soapy hair. “I didn’t mean to be weird. I’m not used to...California slang.”

“What kinda slang is  _ for a human  _ though?” Noel laughed. Cody liked the sound, it reverberated in his chest like a good bass line. “What are you, some sort of Amish asshole?”

“Do I  _ look  _ Amish?” Cody snorted. He rinsed his hair and shook it out, stepping away from the water slightly. He wanted to prolong this conversation. He wanted to stay in the familiar heat of the water and listen to Noel’s earthy chuckles, even if they were at his expense. 

“No, but you do look like an asshole.”

Cody burst out laughing, leaning forward slightly. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his lungs. 

“Ah!” 

Noel was on his feet in a heartbeat. “Cody, are you alright in there? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I-ah!” Cody yelped in pain. He had laughed too hard and pulled at his sutures. He braced his hands against the tiled wall in an effort to relieve some of the cramping tension in his back. “My stitches.”

“Can I peek in?” Noel asked, his concern blatant in his nervous tone. 

“Y-yeah,” Cody groaned out. He heard the shower curtain move and felt as Noel’s gentle fingers prodded at his back, inspecting the stitches for tears or damage. After a few deep, slow breaths he was able to ease back into a standing position. 

“There’s no damage, but you’ve gotta be careful my guy,” Noel murmured. He was still in Doctor mode, his eyes focused solely on Cody’s injuries and his voice a comforting lull. The low tone did something odd to Cody’s heart rate again, and he tried to hide his suddenly warm human face.  _ What the fuck?  _

“Sorry to have maybe fucked up your hard work,” Cody apologized. He was settling into human language much easier than he had expected and he was proud of himself for that. His first trip to the human realm had been a disastrous assault of new information. It was hard to adapt, at first. Then again, Cody could barely recall anything from before his Fall.

Noel closed the shower curtain, waking Cody from his reverie. He sighed deeply and turned off the water, letting the quiet dripping of the drain hypnotize him momentarily. “Imma head out,” Noel stated.

“See ya,” Cody replied. They were bonding, the angel and the human. 

Noel’s coffee was still warm when he stepped out of the small bathroom. He took a breath of fresh air and a smooth sip of coffee, appreciating how it wasn’t as bitter as he usually made it. He owed the strange guy in his bathroom a compliment for making such well-brewed joe. He ran a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs up into their normal pseudo-spikes as he wandered over to his tiny closet. He held the coffee steady in one hand and used the other to look for a clean pair of jeans. He was still rummaging around when Cody exited the steamy bathroom, looking significantly better than he had the night before. His coloring was more even and his hair wasn’t matted or tangled. He looked...like a fuckboy. Noel chuckled and the sound made Cody furrow his eyebrows.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, my dude.”

“Hey, Noel, would you mind if I borrowed some clothes again, until I can get some for myself?” Cody asked, the shyness from earlier slipping back into his voice. Noel stood and tossed Cody another clean pair of joggers. Not to be gay or anything, but Noel knew that Cody’s thighs wouldn’t fit into any of his skinny jeans without ripping them. It was common knowledge that Noel’s butt wasn’t the roundest of things and well...Cody’s apparently was. Not that Noel had checked him out in the shower or anything. Cause he hadn’t. That would be  _ super unprofessional.  _

“Thanks,” Cody smiled. Noel smiled back, and both of their hearts palpitated in unison (not that either of them knew). 

“Do you wanna grab some breakfast?” Noel asked, gesturing at the door. 

“Sure.”

“Cool. I can make toast or bagels here, but if you want anything else we’re gonna have to hit up a store or something.”

“I need to find a job,” Cody sighed. 

“Maybe we can hit up the supermarket and see if they’re hiring,” Noel shrugged. “I don’t know if you have like...an education or degree or some shit. Sorry.”

“Nah, you’re good, man. I don’t know where else to start, either. Like I said, I don’t remember much.”

“Let’s go grab some food and maybe grab you some applications.”

“Sounds good.”

“Oh, yeah, and take these.” Noel handed Cody more aspirin and Cody downed them with a sip of his coffee. Noel’s medical degree grimaced, knowing that combo wasn’t really a good one. 

The boys clambered into their various clothes and headed for the car. As he buckled in and listened to Noel tune the radio to a hip-hop station, Cody was still very nervous about his new mortal life. He wasn’t sure if those who had Thrown him would come looking for him again or not; he wasn’t sure about the danger that his presence posed to Noel. For now, though, he was still very weak and in a lot of pain. He needed the protection that this nervous, caring human provided. And, for some reason, he didn’t want to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gimme that sweet sweet validation baybee. Just one comment means the whole-ass world, my guys.
> 
> Nothing but respect for my Short Kings and their respective ladies. This is a characterization and thusly very very fictional. Amen.


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of the new Love Island Episode 10! Here ya go!

Cody had never seen so much food in one place, or if he had he certainly didn’t remember. That wasn’t exactly his fault, either, was it? It didn’t matter anyway, since Noel was endlessly amused with the shock and awe Cody bestowed upon the aisles of his nearest Whole Foods. He glanced into the cart; as the men wandered around Cody had added strawberry yoghurt, cinnamon toast granola, and some sort of pastry-type thing that Noel had never heard of before, but definitely contained jelly. He wasn’t necessarily surprised by Cody’s apparent sweet-tooth. It seemed kinda fitting, actually. He had noticed in the shower that Cody wasn’t just hard lines and muscle; if anything he was a little softer around the edges than most LA fuckboy-types. Noel grabbed a few refrigerator essentials like eggs and milk, an extra bottle of shampoo, a box of pizza rolls, and an application for Cody. “You should really just do it online,” the bored cashier explained, sliding the paper across the counter. Noel thanked her and headed back to the parking lot with Cody eagerly on his heels. Something about Cody’s bouncy walk and his goofy smile made Noel think of a golden retriever puppy.  _ The paws-too-big-for-its-body kind of puppy. _

To Cody’s confusion, Noel pulled out his phone and immediately looked up the number for the store they’d just exited. He watched silently as Noel copied and pasted the number from the search result into his phone app and pressed  _ Call.  _ After exactly two rings, a cheerful female voice picked up. 

_ “Hello! Whole Foods, this is Kasey speaking!”  _

“Hi Kasey, is the service manager available? I’d like to talk to them, please.”

“ _ Absolutely, sir. One moment, please.” _

Cody and Noel listened for a moment to the tinny, disjointed elevator music that played over the hold line. “What are you doing?” Cody asked, gesturing with confusion at the phone. 

“Oh, I always look at the cashier’s name tag and then after I leave, I call to compliment them to the manager.”

“She wasn’t even that helpful,” Cody shrugged. Noel rolled his eyes. 

“Trust me, these people don’t make nearly enough money and they’re constantly being abused by management. That’s probably why she was so miserable, honestly. The least I can do is offer them a little job security for ringing up my shit.”

Something twisted in Cody’s gut, something primordial and instinctual that existed just past description but bordered on anguish.  _ Noel’s a good person. He does good deeds without prompting and he’s empathetic and compassionate.  _ If there were God-proof tickets to the good side of the afterlife, Cody would have gotten one with Noel’s name on it in shiny golden ink. If this is what the beginning of emotional attachment felt like, he would welcome it with open arms. 

Noel passed along his compliment for “Emily” on to the manager, who sounded surprised but excited on the other end of the line. It gave Cody the impression that Noel’s unwarranted compliment had a pretty decent impact. “The world needs more people like you in it, dude,” Cody stated, trying to sound as macho as possible. Noel’s head jerked back slightly and he looked at Cody from the corner of his eye. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and fished out his car keys.

“Uh, thanks, man,” Noel laughed. The laugh didn’t seem genuine to Cody, and he wondered what he had done wrong. “You’re doing that alien thing again.”

“Ah shit,” Cody huffed. He crossed his arms dramatically over his chest and took on an exaggerated swagger for the last few feet to the car. “I swear I’m gonna get the hang of this California thing.”

“Fuck off,” Noel chuckled. The two drove home in relative quiet, except for the radio; each boy was deep in his own thoughts. 

For the first time in a month, Noel found himself dreading the idea of leaving the apartment for work tomorrow. Usually he let the hospital overwhelm him, focusing his mind and body as he worked from dawn to dusk helping people feel better. One of the nurses that worked on the trauma floor had compared him to a man possessed once, like a demon entered Noel’s body as soon as he slipped on his white coat and hospital ID. He barely tasted the watery hospital salad he choked down during his lunches, his mind busy working through Mr. Thompson’s odd heart-monitor readings or little Tina’s bad reaction to the last treatment they’d attempted. He had mug after mug of coffee and somehow managed to only use the bathroom two or three times a day. 

Tomorrow, though, he wouldn’t be able to throw his whole head into the game. He knew it as fact already. Noel had come to terms with the knowledge that somewhere at the back of his mind there would be a tiny voice repeating one word to him all day as he worked:  _ Cody. Cody. Cody. Cody.  _ He would be wondering if Cody was in any pain. If he’d eaten. If he’d decided to shower alone and passed out from the heat. That voice was going to be constant, annoying, and ultimately the thing that dragged him home at the end of his 12 hour shift. Hopefully Cody would be a little more self-sufficient by tomorrow, so Noel could maybe get some sleep in when he got back from work.  _ Maybe he’d just use the couch-bed and let Cody sleep in the real bed; it was too far of a walk after a shift at the hospital. The couch was just as comfortable and now it probably smelled like Cody.  _

Hey. Wait a minute. Noel stopped his train of thought on its track, carefully rethinking that last part.  _ Why the hell would I want to stay on a couch that smells like a stranger?  _

“Yo, dude, earth to Noel,” Cody’s voice interrupted. “You wanna help me carry this shit in?”

“Yeah, dude, sorry,” Noel chuckled to break the tension only he was feeling. Cody and Noel each took an armful of bags, each trying to impress the other with his prowess and strength as they hurried them into the apartment. As the pair walked back for the last few items, Noel saw a familiar older woman standing halfway down the hallway and waved cheerily. She raised her arm a little, like she was about to wave back, but then she saw Cody. 

She turned away from unlocking her door and hurried towards the boys on her slightly bowed legs faster than Noel thought medically possible. She paused in front of them, huffing slightly from her effort. “Dr. Miller, are you alright?” 

“Uh, yeah. I’m actually doing really well, Ms. Fairfield,” he answered cheerfully. 

“Who is this?” she prodded Cody in the chest with her cane. He took a step back, hiding partially behind Noel and peering over his friend’s shoulder at the old woman as they spoke. Noel gently moved the tip of the cane away from Cody with the tip of his finger and smiled at the older woman despite his irritation. He had patients like this. He put a protective arm around Cody’s shoulders on instinct and gestured at Cody’s chest with his free hand. 

“Ms. Fairfield, this is Cody. He’s staying with me for a few days while he heals up from an accident,” Noel explained. She turned to glare at Cody.

“Don’t think that I can’t see all your eyes. The fire? I know exactly what you are.”

“Excuse me?” Cody asked. When they made eye contact, Ms. Fairfield flinched away. 

“I know who you are,” she said again, wagging her finger at him. Her eyes focused on some point just over his head to avoid meeting his eyes again. “Don’t think you go invisible among us.”

“Uh, I’ll come around on Thursday to check your knee again, Ms. Fairfield,” Noel said, breaking the tension and effectively ending the conversation. The old woman sent him a warm, thankful smile. 

“You’re a gift from Heaven, Dr. Miller,” she smiled, patting the back of his hand with her papery palm. She put heavy emphasis on her next words: “Bless you and keep you.”

The men brought in the rest of the groceries and put them away in a comfortable silence. As Cody was standing on tiptoe to put a box of cereal in the cupboard Noel snuck up behind him and poked him in the ribcage. He raised the pitch of his voice and declared joyfully: “I can see all your eyes!”

“Ah!” Cody yelped, jumping slightly from the surprise tickling sensation. He turned on his heel to face Noel. “What the hell, dude?” 

“Sorry man, but the look on your face,” Noel was doubled over with laughter. Suddenly Cody wasn’t so angry anymore. He chuckled a little at himself. 

“So, now will you feed me? I’ve been shopping, I have my job application, and I’ve been accosted by your insane neighbor.”

“Yes, oh whiny one, I shall feed you.” 

Cody sat down with Noel’s laptop to fill out the online application for Whole Foods, as per the cashier’s instructions. It was just mindless information and a questionnaire about human customer service techniques until he got to the “Address” portion.  _ Do I put down Noel’s address?  _ “Hey, uh, Noel…”

“Yeah, dude?” Noel asked from the kitchen. 

“What should I write for the address?” 

“Oh.”

“Just use mine for now, I guess.”

Noel brought two bowls of yoghurt and granola over and handed one to Cody. The comfortable silence resumed as they munched on breakfast, each buried in his own thoughts. Noel was thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Cody got a job and became his roommate. They could invest in a pull-out couch. But then again, Cody’s memories could return any day now and he could just as easily pack up and leave. Hell, Cody could be  _ married  _ for God’s sake. 

Cody was wondering how to tell Noel about what he really was. How would you explain to a human that you’re a Fallen ethereal being who doesn’t know his ass from his elbow when it comes to human culture? He’s essentially homeless, an illegal alien, and a...oh wait he’s an illegal alien. “Oh shit.”

“What’s up?”

“I don’t have any American papers, dude.” 

“Oh damn,” Noel rubbed at his chin for a second. “Maybe just tell them you’re Canadian or something? Like you’re an exchange student?”

“If that works, you’re a goddamn genius and the hospital should have to give you your own ward.”

“Fuck, man, I don’t want a ward,” Noel laughed. It was almost 2pm by the time they’d finished five applications for Cody at various places nearby. They’d forgone lunch in favor of a large, early dinner. Noel treated himself and introduced Cody to pizza. Cody held the term  _ human  _ back only barely when he told Noel:

“I didn’t know something this good was possible.”

After a short but violent burping competition, Noel made Cody sit down on the bean bag again. “Here, take more aspirin,” Noel ordered; he watched Cody acquiesce as he applied a light layer of medicated ointment to Cody’s sutures. Noel knew that his living situation was less than stellar and he didn’t want to risk any form of infection. While the ointment absorbed and dried, however, Cody had to remain shirtless. 

Noel took a seat on the couch, turned on the TV, and glanced over at Cody. He was extra careful to keep his eyes above his guest’s collarbones. “Any shows you wanna watch?”

“I don’t really...know anything?” Cody shrugged. They both chuckled at the absurdity of the statement despite its truthfulness. Noel put on an episode of  _ Love Island  _ and zoned out into the television screen for fifteen minutes. He would need to take a melatonin and head to bed shortly in order to wake up in time for his next shift. 

“This is funny as hell,” Cody laughed, watching as two of the British babes got into some sort of cat fight. “What’s this called?”

“Love Island,” Noel answered.  _ Had Cody just...not read any of the title cards? They played every time there was a commercial break. Could Cody even read? Oh good God... _

“Lohv Oyland,” Cody repeated, mimicking the accent of the British narrator. Noel snorted.

The two went back and forth, repeating the title of the show and making the words sound more and more like gibberish with their over-enunciated accents. They only stopped when Cody laughed so hard that he gave himself the hiccups. “Oh sh-shit! D-Dude how d-do y-you make it s-stop?” 

“Drink a glass of water without pausing to breathe. Oh my god, dude! You gave yourself the fucking hiccups from laughing at your own shit joke!” Noel pointed and burst into another round of deep laughter at Cody’s expense. If Cody wasn’t already running to the kitchen for some water at Noel’s instruction, he would have paused to watch Noel laugh again. Something about the resonance and the depth and the way Noel’s neck looked when his head tilted back like that…

Cody hiccuped again, scaring him back into his task of drinking some water. A few attempts later and he was restored to normal. Noel was wiping tears from his eyes when Cody returned to his seat on the beanbag. Noel was glad for the laughter to disguise his blush. Until the two had started joking around, Noel hadn’t been paying much attention to his TV show at all. He’d been nervously glancing between the screen and Cody’s bare torso, his mind a whirl of conflicting thoughts.  _ What if Cody isn’t into dudes? Is it ethical to treat a guy’s crazy injuries and then ask him on a date, will that make him feel obligated to agree? Is Cody a top or a bottom, if Cody does like dudes? What if Cody gets his memory back? Does it count as Stockholm Syndrome if he’s an actual doctor and not a kidnapper? _

“Yo, Noel, you’re doing that thing where you space the fuck out,” Cody said, waving a hand in front of Noel’s eyes. “You’ve been staring at my left nipple for like five minutes, dude.”

“Oh shit, oh sorry,” Noel laughed nervously. He ran a hand through his short black hair and then wiped the residual hair product on his jeans. “I’ve just been thinking.”

“About?”

“Well you need a place to stay, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you don’t have a job yet?”

“Well I mean I only applied  _ today.” _

“So you should stay here for a bit. You can stay on the couch or sleep in the bed when I’m on shift at the hospital. I’m in and out a lot so you’ll have some personal time. You can use my laptop to apply for jobs or whatever. Just no, like, weird porn okay?”

It came out rushed and nervous, just like Noel was feeling. Cody sat in the beanbag, eyes wide, hair flopping onto his forehead in a way that was too adorable to be legal. Noel’s hands were sweaty and he tried to make it seem normal as he dragged them, palms down, up and down his legs to dry them off. The pressure of the touch grounded him slightly and he looked up at Cody again with his heart beating somewhere in his throat. 

“Noel, I...I don’t know when or how I’d be able to pay you back for something like that,” Cody said. He knew the human rules about money and jobs. He understood what debt was.

“We can grab you some clothes from a thrift shop or something,” Noel shrugged. “It won’t be too big of a dent in my budget. Plus you can like...pay me rent and stuff once you nail down a job.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Cody said. His chest constricted oddly and he felt a warm pricking sensation behind his eyes. His cheeks were warm and his breath started stuttering in and out. He was crying. He didn’t know what to do, so he looked helplessly over at Noel.  _ What the hell was Noel going to do about these mortal emotions?  _

Noel sat, dumbfounded, as Cody cried into his hands on the beanbag. His heart was full to the brim with...something. Satisfaction? Happiness? Realizing he was an idiot, Noel shook himself into action and rushed to Cody’s side. “Hey, dude, it’s all good.”

“I don’t know how to thank you for your help. I thought I was going to die here,” Cody sobbed. Noel wasn’t sure where Cody came from, but when Cody said he thought he would  _ die  _ something flared to life in Noel’s chest. It was official. Sure, he’d only known the guy for a day or so. So what? There were dudes he’d made out with at clubs that he’d only known for thirty seconds. There were girls he’d slept with whose names he’d never learned. 

A crush on Cody was something he’d just have to live with. While he lived with Cody. Fuck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, nothing makes me write faster than a good old comment. Truly they are the bread and butter of fanfiction and ya'll who have commented so far mean the world to me. Also feel free to DM me, I love friends!
> 
> Anyway, nothing but respect for my Short Kings and their chosen irl ladies, Kelsey and Aleena. May the gods of Youtube bless them all with a plentiful Views harvest.


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll are seriously the best.

Noel went to bed after giving Cody another sleeping pill and teaching him how to use the TV remote. By the time his host had showered, brushed his teeth, and tucked himself into bed, Cody’s skin was crawling with impatience. He didn’t want the sleeping pill to kick in before he could complete his mission. The moment Noel’s gentle, rhythmic snores could be heard from the living room, Cody unwrapped himself from the comforter and knelt down next to the couch. Something about kneeling like this sent his mind into a panic, however, and his breathing started to accelerate. His body seemed frozen in place and his palms prickled instantly, beginning to sweat. 

_ “You have failed me…” _

Cody cringed backwards at the memory, jolting himself back to reality. The pressure on his knees was familiar and terrifying, but he remembered illustrations of children praying like this in human picture books. He knew the scripture, and that coming to God as a child would be in his best interest. Cody clasped his hands together in front of his chest, leaned gently against the couch, and whispered into the otherwise empty room, “Dear God, if you’re still listening, it’s me, Cody. I know that you already know that, but I wanted to ask for your help. I don’t deserve it, probably, but Noel does. He’s great. He deserves so much happiness, and even if I can’t give it to him, I can at least be less of a problem while I figure out mortal life. I was Thrown, which means that I have failed, but I don’t know who else to go to with this request. Please, God, help me find a job so I can pay Noel for staying here and make his life easier rather than harder.”

Cody was breathless by the end of his simple prayer, his heart hammering against his ribcage in a way he’d never felt before. It wasn’t the same happy thrumming he felt when he was too close to Noel. It was full of anxiety and...oh. He was anxious. Satisfied that he had identified the newfound feeling, Cody stood from the floor and wiped the carpet residue from his knees. He curled up in the borrowed comforter, gently sniffed at the spicy smell of Noel that surrounded him, and fell into a comfortable sleep. 

He woke up a few hours later. Noel was shuffling around the kitchen quietly and Cody could hear the gentle, steady  _ drip  _ of the coffee machine. “Hey,” Cody whispered, his head popping up over the back of the couch. 

“Did I wake you up?” Noel whispered back. Cody shook his head ‘no’, his hair flopping back and forth comically. Noel suppressed a snort.

“Why are we whispering?” Cody continued.

“Oh, damn, sorry,” Noel replied in a normal tone. “Morning, Cody.”

“Morning, Noel.”

“Coffee?” 

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Cody smiled. He accepted the warm mug from Noel and wrapped his hands around it the same way he’d done the day before. Noel sensed a habit forming and smiled absently down at his feet. While his host was distracted by his own thoughts, Cody took the opportunity to just  _ look  _ at him. Noel had spiked his hair a little, the way Cody was getting used to seeing it. His scrubs were burgundy and he’d thrown a grey knit sweater on, probably because it was still only five in the morning and relatively chilly. It was more of a cardigan, really, the way it hung open in the front with a row of black buttons on one side. Cody was observant enough that he also saw the way Noel’s eyebrows had begun to furrow.

“What’s wrong?”

“Dude, we gotta go to the police,” Noel admitted. He set his coffee cup on the counter and dug his hands into the pockets of the sweater. “I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything, but if something did happen to you, we should see if there’s a missing person’s report. I can’t lose my job over this.”

Cody nodded in silent understanding. Noel was right. Cody wouldn’t have any missing persons reports, of course, but he also didn’t have any sort of human identification. He knew how upset mortals could get about their record-keeping. Sooner or later, though, he’d have to face the consequences of being Thrown, and this was one of them. 

“I can go today,” he offered.

“I’d rather go with you, honestly,” Noel admitted. “In case they carry you off for being some sort of crazy serial killer. We could go between shifts tomorrow.”

“Alright, man,” Cody agreed, smiling halfheartedly at Noel’s attempt at a joke. The rough, unpleasant anxiety rose up in his chest again. He wasn’t ready to leave this new experience yet, and Noel had been so interesting and kind. He wanted to stay and learn more, to help out, to understand the mortal experience with the sweetest human he’d ever met in all his many years. Surely none of the others could have surpassed Dr. Miller. Noel interrupted his worry by patting him gently on the shoulder. “Let me put a bit more ointment on your sutures before my shift, okay? I don’t want them to get infected or for the skin to scar too badly by letting the scab peel too early.”

“Oh, thanks,” Cody nodded. He sat on the kitchen stool and pulled his shirt off, shivering slightly in the chilly morning air. Noel’s fingers felt extra warm as he applied the disinfectant; Cody was doing everything in his power not to make any sounds or sudden movements. He didn’t want the moment to end, even if he was a little cold. Noel’s hands on him felt so indescribably  _ correct  _ and  _ natural.  _ He knew about human heterosexuality, but he hadn’t grown up in this realm with that understanding of attraction. He was accustomed to having relatively tame emotional connections, so the sudden intensity with which he was experiencing the world was fascinating (and totally overwhelming). Noel also happened to have a lovely physical form. Although the more he thought about Noel’s body, the more it fed an odd sensation building in his stomach. 

“I gotta head out, dude,” Noel said, throwing the first aid kit back under the kitchen sink. “Have some breakfast and use my laptop if you want. You know how to use the TV, right?”

Cody nodded. He was fighting the urge to grab onto Noel and never let him leave the apartment again. But the angel understood that Noel loved his job. 

“Alright, then. See you later, alligator,” Noel smirked. Cody hugged him. Cody wasn’t thinking about doing it, but his body went on ahead. One second Noel was standing there with that dumb, beautiful expression on his face and the next moment Cody had his face buried in the other man’s shoulder and his arms around Noel’s waist. Noel wrapped his arms gently around Cody’s upper shoulders, careful not to irritate his injuries. This was everything he had hoped it would be, comfortable and warm and soft...like Cody.

“Bye Noel.”

“Bye Cody.”

When the door closed behind Noel, Cody flopped dejectedly onto the couch with a loud  _ huff. What was he supposed to do with twelve empty hours?  _ He’d known Noel literally all of his mortal life and he didn’t want to be separated.  _ Is this what baby birds felt like?  _

He spent a few hours watching reruns of Love Island, wrapped in the blanket he’d dragged off Noel’s bed. After a few episodes the accents got annoying and Cody was bored. He enjoyed being bored for about an hour before the new sensation got, yanno,  _ boring.  _ He sat at the table, still wrapped in the blanket, and logged onto Noel’s laptop. He applied for a few more jobs and puttered around reading some books Noel had downloaded. His favorite so far was “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. After making himself a lunch of Peanut Butter and Jelly, Cody polished off seven chapters. It was late afternoon by the time his eyes started watering and losing focus from staring at the screen for so long. He blinked rapidly, focusing on the light coming in through the windows instead. 

Once he could see again he had to figure out what to do with the remaining two hours of Noel’s shift. Maybe take a shower? Yeah. Probably. Humans liked smelling good and Cody was a human now. Wait; he didn’t want to shower without Noel around to keep an eye on him. He still didn’t feel very steady on his feet for long periods of time. Ugh. What else was there to do?

He logged back onto Noel’s computer and checked the email they’d made together for his job applications. Two new emails! He read them giddily, hoping that the police station would turn up nothing and he could get an interview instead. Live as Noel’s roommate. 

_ To: Cody  _

_ From: Whole Foods - 12th Ave. Location - Hiring _

_ CC: N/A _

_ Hello Cody, _

_ This is  _ Anne  _ from the  _ 12th Ave.  _ Whole Foods Location, replying to your application for the position of  _ Retail Associate.  _ We would like to schedule an interview with you, so please call the  _ 12th Ave.  _ Location to make arrangements. Looking forward to hearing from you! _

_ Sincerely, _

Anne

Cody couldn’t believe his luck! An interview! At Whole Foods! He could spend all day watching the humans go about their lives. He could observe them and interact with them from within. How  _ fantastic  _ would that be? To celebrate his potential job, Cody opened Noel’s Spotify; which Noel had shown him very briefly the night before. He chose the first playlist that popped up. It was some synth-heavy pop music by someone called “Ke$ha”. He understood the rhythm and beat on instinct, despite how different this music was from. . .

Cody  _ knew  _ that this music was different than what they played in the place he was Thrown from, but he still couldn’t remember which place it was. He just knew that nothing had ever sounded like  _ this.  _ Nothing had ever made his heart race or made his body want to move like  _ this.  _ Cody danced around for a few minutes, mimicking the moves he’d seen on Love Island and making up a few of his own. 

With the energy he reserved by lounging around the house all day, Cody decided to make Noel dinner. He followed the instructions on the back of the ramen packet and used Noel’s laptop to learn to boil an egg. He’d seen someone put an egg in their ramen on a Food Network commercial and wanted to try it for himself. Maybe he could impress his host with his helpfulness around the house and then Noel would let him stay! While waiting for the water to boil, Cody fixed the blankets on the beds and fluffed the pillows. It was really the least he could do in return for saving his life. 

* * *

Noel staggered towards his apartment door with the posture of the living dead. He was right about the kind of day he expected to have; his head just wasn’t in it. He couldn’t focus right and his nerves had been fraught all day. He had worried about Cody’s injuries. He was worried about Cody eating. He was worried about Cody falling over or hitting his head or poisoning himself or...he was  _ really worried about Cody.  _

So when he unlocked the door and stepped inside to the smell of cooking Ramen and the sound of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” playing at an apartment-appropriate decibel, he was confused. “Cody?”

“Noel!” Cody came dashing around the corner, huge grin on his stupidly cute face. “How was work?”

“Uhh, long, dude,” Noel smiled tiredly. Cody took his grey sweater and escorted Noel quickly to the door of his bedroom. “What is up with you, man?”

“I made you dinner! Change into more comfortable clothes and come let me show you what I made!”

As he stepped into the bathroom to change and take care of his other various human post-work problems, Noel wasn’t sure how Cody had this much energy. He’d gotten maybe six hours of sleep. Ah, well. Noel wasn’t about to argue with this odd little gift from the universe; he’d never had dinner already made for him when he got home. And the bed was made? Did Cody make the beds  _ and  _ make dinner? Damn. Having a roommate might not be such a bad idea.

_ As long as that roommate is Cody. _

“Dude, c’mon!” the blonde called from the other room. Noel ducked out of the bedroom and took a seat at the kitchen counter. Cody set a bowl of ramen in front of him, complete with a soft-boiled egg cut lengthwise floating on top. The broth was slightly darker than usual and definitely had some other non-generic stuff in it. 

“Holy shit, Cody, is this just packaged ramen?”

“Well, yeah, the noodles are. I everything else I used from the pantry; I hope you don’t mind.” 

Cody was glancing nervously down at the bowl of noodles, totally unable to meet Noel’s curious gaze. It was completely adorable and Noel suddenly felt as if he’d run a mile. The way his breath caught in his chest at his outright, immediate, demanding,  _ protectiveness  _ of Cody. It was definitely not normal, which worried him somewhat, but he couldn’t stop himself from letting it slip. Cody was  _ special  _ somehow. Noel took his fork and slurped up a few noodles, not sure what to expect. He was excited to discover that Cody’s ramen was fantastic! He still took two more huge bites without thinking and then blurted, “They’re amazing, Cody!”

“Really?”

“Dude, you better eat your bowl before I finish mine or I’ll be coming after yours, too.” 

“Damn.”

They slurped in silence together until their respective bowls were empty. “How did you learn how to do that?”

“Uh...Food Network?” Cody offered.

“Shit, dude, you must be like a prodigy or some shit,” Noel chuckled. He rested his head in his hands for a few moments before sighing deeply. Cody stood from his stool and positioned himself behind Noel. He set his hands gently on the other man’s shoulders and applied gentle pressure with his fingertips. The action was completely instinctual and it surprised both of them. Noel melted underneath Cody’s hands as he rubbed the tight muscle in gentle circles. This felt right to both of them, but only Noel said, “Bruh. I could kiss you right now.”

“Okay,” Cody shrugged, continuing to rub Noel’s shoulders in the tightest spots. Noel didn’t know how to respond, so he didn’t. The comfortable silence resumed. 

After Cody’s hands got tired they moved to sit on the couch, where Noel selected an episode of  _ Dancing with the Stars.  _ They sat close to each other, their thighs touching slightly. “Their costumes are so beautiful,” Cody said, eyes wide as he followed the dancers’ every move. 

“Shittons of sequins, man,” Noel replied. 

“I like the flowy, slow ones,” Cody said. His head drifted to lay on the area just beneath Noel’s collarbone and his eyes kept fluttering closed. 

“You’re such a fuckin’ romantic ass bitch,” Noel laughed slightly. When Cody didn’t snap back at him, he turned to see that the shorter man had fallen asleep. His mouth was open slightly and his eyes were doing that gentle flickering again. Noel wondered if Cody’s mind ever quieted below a dull roar. His eyes eventually went back to looking at the TV screen.

Before long, Noel fell asleep right there on the couch, still thinking about Cody. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments! They're always excellent motivators and I appreciate each and every single one. 
> 
> Nothing but respect for the Short Kings etc.


	6. Chapter Five

When Noel woke up, he knew he had to take Cody to the nearest police station. He really didn’t  _ want  _ to do that particular chore, but it was a necessary evil. No cute, mysterious fuckboy was going to ruin his chance at a medical career where he could help  _ hundreds  _ of people. No one person was worth ruining that  _ ever.  _ It could have been Santa Clause himself and Noel would have done the exact same thing. 

So when he woke Cody up and made them both breakfast, the air felt heavy and uncertain. “If I’m not a serial killer, I just wanted you to know that I got an interview at Whole Foods,” Cody said, rinsing his breakfast bowl in the sink. Noel glanced up in surprise, eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline.

“For real, dude?” 

“Yeah. They emailed me yesterday.” 

“If you can contribute to the rent and clean up sometimes you’re welcome to stay on the couch until you can get on your feet or until I move out,” Noel offered. He didn’t mind the offer, even once he realized it had even left his mouth. He wanted to keep Cody around and there was nothing wrong with admitting that. Cody had made the beds and even researched how to make him a decent dinner after work. He was  _ kind.  _ He  _ contributed  _ to Noel’s happiness in some strange way and that was perfectly alright. He made Cody sit down so he could apply a final layer of disinfectant to Cody’s injuries before they headed out. 

The ride to the station was silent and he smiled nervously at Cody when they walked through the squeaky front door, one after the other. “Can I help you?” the smiling receptionist asked. 

“We have a weird question,” Noel explained. He gestured to Cody, “I actually found this guy shortly after that tiny earthquake this weekend, behind my apartment building over on 7th Avenue.”

Cody’s frail human heart was beating hard against his ribcage.

“So we were wondering if anyone had put out a missing persons report for him,” Noel concluded. The receptionist gave them an awkward nod and fired off a short list of questions. After each answer she’d type something into the computer and squint for a few seconds. Around five minutes had passed before she glanced down and up very quickly between the monitor and Cody, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, his hands clenched into fists and tucked against his ribcage. 

“Actually, yeah,” she said. “Let me get an officer for you.”

“Am I in trouble?” Cody asked. He still had the hesitant smile plastered on his face but he could barely pull a breath in through the panic. 

“Oh, no,” she smiled, “I just don’t have the legal authority to read the report to you. Only an officer can do that.”

He felt the held breath loosen in his chest and finally come shuddering out. Noel put a comforting hand on his shoulder and shot Cody a confident smile. 

“Maybe it’s good news, dude,” Noel offered. Cody nodded, letting his face relax for the first time since they’d arrived. 

“What if I have to leave?” Cody asked. Noel wondered if he imagined the yearning behind the tone in Cody’s sudden question. 

“We can still hang out or facetime or somethin’,” Noel smiled. “You’re a good dude. I still gotta keep an eye on my nicest patient.”

“Cody?” a tall, dark haired man in the tell-tale blue uniform asked, stepping around a corner. Cody glanced up.

“That’s me.”

“I’m going to chat with you over at my desk, if that’s alright,” the officer smiled, gesturing down a short hallway to the left. Cody nodded and followed him, looking back at Noel once more for affirmation. Noel took a seat in the lobby and waved him on. 

The bullpen of the station was bustling. Two detectives sat in the back corner, arguing over an open file. A woman sat alone in front of a computer, her glasses perched low on her nose as she glared at the screen. The detective lead Cody over to a nearby desk, which was mostly cleared except for a few papers and a mug of coffee. The stand was metal and the top of the desk was wood print vinyl. Cody saw a small shelving unit to the side, which the officer set his coffee mug on top of. 

As Cody took a seat in the rickety rolling chair, everything lurched forward. The movement was so sudden that it knocked the breath from Cody’s lungs. 

The chair he sat in was no longer a duct-tape repaired office chair, but an immaculate red leather wingback. The desk was no longer metal and plastic; Cody sat tucked up against a solid mahogany writing desk. It looked almost Victorian in design. The gold plate screwed tightly to the leftmost edge of the desk read  _ Lucifer  _ in elegant, legible cursive.  _ Oh shit.  _

“Starting to remember, little one?” the dark haired man asked. No longer in uniform, the tall stranger was now reclining opposite him, dressed in an expensive-looking fitted black suit. “Well, Cody?”

“Sort of,” Cody answered. He knew this was the Devil. It was literally right there in front of him. 

“You were Thrown,” Lucifer stated, standing and moving to perch on the right edge of the desk. He made himself comfortable and delicately crossed his long legs. The Devil stared down at Cody with an intense, almost predatory gaze. “I couldn’t have you fucking up anymore.”

“I’m sorry I-”

“Don’t worry your silly head about it, kiddo,” Lucifer interrupted with a short laugh. Not an angry laugh, either, but a laugh of genuine amusement. Cody couldn’t keep up with the Devil’s quickly changing mood. It was making his head spin. “Unfortunately I have come upon a need for troops with uncommon tendencies, like you. I’ve decided, rather than do away with you and let your brief light dim forever, I’m going to offer you a deal. Your mortal life hinges on this one, simple task: you must tempt someone to sin.”

“Who am I tempting? What kind of sin?”

This was a Deal with the Devil; every detail mattered. 

“Those are good questions, kiddo. You see, Cody, I want you to make  _ Noel Miller  _ sin. Any kind of sin will do, really, but it has to be at  _ least  _ a level three.”

Level three? That was a ticket directly to hell and resulted from actions that Noel would never consider even fantasizing about. It was within the realm of possibility, sure. Cody knew, with faint memory sizzling behind his eyes, that the right amount of manipulation could steer Noel right where he wanted him. Level three was attainable, even surpassable...but it was Noel Miller. The man who had saved Cody’s life without question. 

“No deal.” 

“What?”  
The Devil was incredulous. Nobody turned him down. He sensed the human’s compassion for Cody, he knew of the young Doctor’s secret desire. Cody must surely sense it. The boy he’d Thrown was trained to understand Desire, to build a solid Temptation that led the target to Sin! That was his job! Cody was an angel of Hell, after all. 

“I won’t make Noel sin. He doesn’t deserve Hell,” Cody declared. “I won’t do it. Not to him.”  
“Alright, fine. I’ll let you live out your mortal life. I’ll give you what you need to survive in this putrid mortal realm and that’s the last you’ll hear from me, _Cody_.”

Lucifer had planted his hand on the arm of Cody’s chair and was glaring angrily down at the lesser angel. Cody could feel the two wounds on his back burning from the proximity, the last of the dark energy under his skin pulling towards its origin point. “Th-thank you.”

“Oh don’t thank me yet, little one. I’m not done with you,” Lucifer chuckled darkly. His good humor had disappeared entirely with Cody’s refusal. While Cody had fucked up plenty of times, he had always been the most creative collector of innocent souls. His charisma was becoming more necessary for Seducing mortals into Sin. They had become less prone to sinning in their already darkening world; it was frustrating. Younger people were more vain, sure, but vanity doesn’t lead you to sin. Vanity just leads you to posting shitty Instagram stories. 

Lucifer wanted Cody and all of the boy’s talent and by Hell’s eternal fire Lucifer would get what he wanted. “If you won’t return to my brood willingly or bring me Noel Miller’s soul, I will have yours instead. By force if necessary.”

“What?” 

Cody pulled himself away from the desk and stood from the chair. He took a single, faltering step back. Lucifer got down from the desk and slowly crossed the room, backing Cody into the wall. The taller man leaned down to make eye contact with his prey, trapping Cody by placing his hands on the wall on either side of the angel’s head. “If you ever tell a lie to the mortal man you’ve come to care for, Noel Miller, your soul is forfeit. You will be dragged immediately to Hell and young Dr. Miller’s memories of you will be erased. It will be as if you’d never existed. If you can live a truthful and good life, I will let you live out a normal existence and you will be granted passes through Purgatory to reach the Gates.”

Cody couldn’t move or respond. His heart was racing and he couldn’t breath fast enough. His eyes were wide and his back was flattened against the wall; sweat gathered on his forehead while his adrenaline shoved his hyperventilation into overdrive. As Lucifer leered down at him, Cody passed out. 

He woke up as his body was walking down the hallway back towards Noel. He felt the genuine smile on his face and realized he was holding a thick manila folder in his hand. He heard himself say, “Look! I have all my stuff! Turns out I go by Cody Ko, and I have some kind of job as a freelance journalist. I have an apartment two blocks from yours, which explains why I wandered so close, I guess.”

“Any idea how you ended up injured like that?” 

“Not that they knew of. Could have been an accident or gang activity like you thought.”

“Well that sucks,” Noel sighed. “At least you don’t have a huge insurance bill thanks to yours truly.”

“Thank you, Noel, for saving my dumb ass. Since I don’t have to be detained, can we please go?” 

Noel pulled Cody in for a hug, careful to keep from agitating his injuries. He glanced at Cody’s address and laughed, “We’re practically neighbors.”

“Yeah, and I guess I don’t have to interview at Whole Foods,” Cody laughed.  _ Does my ‘job’ know that I’ve been missing for three days?  _

“This also means you can wash those pants before you return them,” Noel teased. They thanked the receptionist as they left. Cody smiled happily to himself as he slid his seatbelt on in the passenger seat of Noel’s car. They drove over to Cody’s apartment. The manila folder had included a copy of the key, which saved Cody the embarrassment of apparently re-meeting his landlord in front of Noel. The apartment was tinier than Noel’s, but it was an artsy all-white color scheme and had pale stained wood-grain vinyl floors. By the way he’d been so kindly provided for, Cody knew Lucifer intended him to fail the challenge rather quickly. 

The apartment was open concept, most likely to conserve space. The kitchen was compact and contained a small black-painted wooden table and two matching chairs. In the furthermost corner, directly under the small second-story window, was a desk containing a computer monitor and several scattered sheets of paper. In the middle of the room sat a loveseat and a single recliner, both in black leather, and a short black coffee table with a checkerboard on it. “Damn, boy, you got some money,” Noel laughed. “Up in my shitty ass apartment making gourmet ramen like you’re fuckin’ Robin Hood but the whole time you were Prince fuckin’ Charming.” 

“I don’t remember any of this,” Cody said uncertainly. The look of utter loss on the blond man’s face turned Noel’s stomach. He didn’t deserve to be in this situation. His instinct had been kindness, and that said a lot about Cody’s character, regardless of where he came from. They stepped inside, closing the door tightly behind them. Noel slid the lock into place and gave Cody a thumbs-up. There was a short hall to the left, containing two doors. One was the bedroom, which contained only a neatly made full-size bed and matching bedside table. The other was the small, bright bathroom. The sliding door set in one wall of the bedroom revealed a well organized closet. A collapsible rack held folded jeans and pants on the right while Cody’s shirts were hanging up on the left. A few pairs of shoes lined the floors. Cody knew the only reason this room was so clean was because he’d never stepped foot in it before. 

“Do you feel safe staying here tonight?” Noel asked. 

“Would you kill me if I said no?” Cody replied.

Noel shook his head. He was actually pretty relieved that he didn’t have to deliver his briefly prepared speech about why it would be safer that Noel monitor him for another 48 hours. “Pack a bag, dude. The couch is yours until I deem you well enough to live alone safely.” 

Cody smiled contently at Noel’s order and hurried to comply. He found a backpack and shoved his (apparently?) laptop, two days worth of clothes, and whatever papers were lying on the desk inside. He was sure he’d have work to catch up on between making Noel dinner and keeping his place tidy. How easily he planned to fall into domesticity with the handsome human doctor. How easily he forgot the threats of his previous...employer? 

It seemed too good to be true that Hell would hand him all of this and just let him live. He knew that Lucifer wouldn’t back down so easily. He understood that something would arise, seemingly out of the blue, to challenge his newfound mortal happiness. As the boys slipped back into Noel’s car, the atmosphere full of relief and happiness on both sides, Cody swore to himself, to God, and to Hell that he would do everything in his power to keep Noel safe and make him happy. 

There was something about this human that made Cody want this mortal life more than he knew he’d ever wanted anything before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll make me so happy! Thank you for your encouragement. It really makes my day to get a new comment. 
> 
> Also two quick things!  
1) I am thinking about doing a Halloween oneshot. I have Cody's costume already (it's the whole plot really) and I just need ideas for Noel.  
2) If you're interested in trading art, I would love to write a 2,000 word oneshot (you pick the fandom/pairing/setting etc.) in return for some art for this story! Whatever you want, forreal!
> 
> Anyway, nothing but respect for the Short Kings etc.


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to AbandonedPornSite for doing my art trade, you rock and I love you.  
Also thanks to MunchyMoon, nosturssis, FrancisIsReading and everyone else for your lovely reviews.

“What do you want for dinner this weekend?” Noel asked, tossing his car keys haphazardly onto the table. Cody knew he couldn’t lie, not even when it was such a simple question. He didn’t want to start the habit of lying to anyone at all; if he never lied at all he certainly wouldn’t ever do it to Noel. He would be safe.  _ They  _ would be safe.

“I’ve never had a burger before.”

“Bruh, you’ve never had a  _ burger _ ? Bitch. You just don’t  _ remember  _ having the burger.”

“No. Honest to God I’ve never had a burger before in my whole mortal  _ life, _ ” Cody laughed. Noel rolled his eyes. 

“In my whole mortal life,” he mimicked in a high, breathy voice. “Suck my ass, Chode-y Ko!”

“What?” 

Cody must have looked  _ supremely  _ baffled, because the expression on his face threw Noel into a new fit of hysterical laughter. 

“Are you telling me you don’t understand the mad burn I just hit you with?” 

“Correct,” Cody answered. 

“Google that one later, dude. Holy shit,” Noel wheezed. “I gotta eat quick and hit the hay for another shift in six hours, so you’re gonna have to handle your own dinner tonight, okay? We can grab burgers this Saturday, I don’t have work.”

“Sounds good. Thanks, man.”

“Bitch, you’re so paying for those burgers.”

“That’s completely fair and I agree to the terms,” Cody smiled. 

“I’m gonna put one more layer of medicine on those sutures,” Noel added, motioning for Cody to remove his shirt. “They’re healing up just fine so far but I want to see how little scarring we can get away with.”

“What happened to eating dinner and going to bed?” Cody asked. Noel slapped him playfully on the arm.

“Shut up, dude.”

They sat in the kitchen and chatted while Noel applied the medication. He was trying not to think about the way Cody’s muscles felt under his warm skin. He was focusing on being incredibly gentle and thorough; definitely not watching as Cody’s shoulders relaxed under his touch. The way they understood space together felt almost predestined. But Noel had always been a romantic bitch, and apparently Cody’s compassionate fuckboy aesthetic was exactly what he’d been looking for. 

He sighed as he put the lotion away under the sink, already missing the feeling of Cody’s soft skin against his fingertips. He didn’t want to work another eight busy hours while Cody was sitting here at home without him. The crazy schedule was starting to grate on Noel’s nerves. The doctor understood, however, that shifts like this would probably be the norm for the rest of his life; or until he was a surgeon and he could just come in by appointment only. He laughed at his own thoughts.  _ Bitch, you want to be a trauma surgeon, you’ll be working ER hours for the rest of your sad life. That’s what you get for wanting to help people you dumbass.  _

“Noel?” Cody was waving a hand in front of his face. 

“Oh shit, what, dude?” Noel asked, finally blinking back to reality.

“The microwave went off like thirty seconds ago and you’ve just been staring at it. I even prepped your tortilla for you,” Cody said. He pointed to a plate on the counter where two flour tortillas, already filled with cheese, sour cream, and shredded lettuce sat waiting. 

“Damn. Fuck journalism, you should be a maid,” Noel chuckled. Cody flipped him off. While Cody scrolled through his (brand new but already somehow full of pictures) Instagram feed, Noel scarfed down two tacos, burning the tip of his tongue slightly on the first one in his rush to get some much-needed sleep. 

“Sorry for keeping you awake so long,” Cody apologized, glancing up from his phone to make meaningful eye-contact with Noel. His host only shrugged and continued eating.  _ Thank God he worked from home and could set up his life around Noel’s crazy hours. Had that been a gift from Lucifer, also? _ Cody didn’t want to think too deeply about his Lucifer issue. He worried that Noel would realize something was bothering him and ask about it. Then he’d have no choice but to spill the truthful but highly unbelievable beans. What kind of fucking meme would that be?  _ When bae is a fallen angel with a contract from Hell that says he can never lie to you or he’ll fucking die.  _ Cute, right? Totally shareable on the internet.

In order to prevent such mishaps, Cody decided to banish that particular train of thought altogether and focus on setting up a workspace on Noel’s kitchen table. After he’d brought Noel a glass of water and a melatonin tablet as requested, Cody organized his handful of marked-up papers into a neat pile and opened his laptop. Lucifer certainly didn’t think Cody was going to last very long telling the truth, since such a decent life had been established for him as a mortal. A document titled “Cody Ko’s Mortal Instructions” was left open for him to read on the laptop screen. It included whatever information wasn’t already in the thick manila envelope from the police station. 

Apparently Cody wrote weekly articles for a website called  _ LA Lifestyle.  _ The document included his employment information, summaries of his completed projects from the last five weeks, and the topics that had approved for the next three weeks. He had an instagram account with a couple thousand followers, a Facebook account complete with fake human relatives, and something called a Snapchat, which he had not learned how to use yet (he’d only figured out Instagram after watching Noel post a picture on his account first). According to the file titled “Work Projects”, Cody was currently in the middle of editing an article about a local fashion trend among males aged 15-25; colorful patches of patterned cloth used to fill the holes in jeans. Is this really what his job consisted of? Reviewing men’s fashion and sometimes writing cocktail recipes? Was that  _ a satirical gossip column  _ on his to-do list _ ?  _

It amazed Cody that Hell was so desperate to Tempt one of their own by accidentally giving them the best life imaginable. When he’d been Thrown, Cody expected to be on the run constantly. He assumed that he would be left, mutilated and wingless, to die in the streets of blood loss or starvation. If he managed to live long enough, surely the mortals would burn him at the stake for his crimes against God? Perhaps he would be put on display for the mortals to observe? Thrown into a dark cell and forgotten? All throughout Cody’s angelic life he’d been warned of the terrors of Humanity. “They’ll kill you and praise God for your death,” an older angel had once told him. He had been so new to creation, “This is why we Tempt them into Sinning. We must conquer them before they can destroy us.”

He’d always thought he was Tempting them to mock God and all of his holy righteousness. Cody had been born into darkness and raised in the fires of Hell. He felt comfort in suffering; or at least he  _ had.  _ It wasn’t something he could verbalize, but Cody understood that at one point in his previous existence, he had intentionally and frequently caused humans like Noel unnecessary pain and suffering. All in the name of what, loyalty? Bullshit.

Cody threw himself into his newfound job, hoping that it would erase the stress of his situation for at least a couple of hours. It worked for the most part, and it was a few hours later when Noel shook him awake as he got ready for his job. “Laying like that is gonna fuck up your injuries, man.”

“Oh, sorry,” Cody sat up and flinched. Noel was right. The skin on his back had been resting at an odd angle and sitting up made the sutures pull slightly. “Jesus.”

“Hurts that bad?”

“Eh, it hurts but it’s more than bearable.” That was the truth.

“Alright. Imma throw some oatmeal in the microwave and then we’re gonna take care of those  _ one more time, _ ” Noel declared. Cody groaned and pulled his shirt over his head. After Noel left for work, Cody was going to get some sleep. It was almost 7pm, anyway. Noel’s shift started at 8pm and went until 4am, when he would come home and go immediately back to sleep. Cody estimated that if he went to bed at 10pm, he and Noel would at least be closer to being in synch. 

“Ah!” Cody yelped, his shoulder blades pulling together to protect him on instinct. Noel had dropped a bit of lotion straight from the bottle onto Cody’s back and the sensation had frightened him. Noel snorted.

“Dramatic ass bitch, calm down.”

“It was cold, dude.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re fine, man. You’re the doctor.”

“This shift is going to suck.”

“You’re going to help so many people, though,” Cody smiled. Noel nodded, rubbing the last bit of lotion into Cody’s lower back. It felt amazing and Cody wished he’d never stop, but alas; the hospital called and Noel Miller had to answer. “I’ll see you when you get home.”

“You’ll be fast asleep, bitch.”

“See you when you get home,” Cody smiled softly. Noel realized he really, truly meant it. Cody would be waiting for him when he got home at four in the morning.

“See you then,” Noel beamed back. Cody went to work with a nest of hummingbirds in his chest. This was where he belonged.

* * *

Noel walked into the emergency room with his head already full of Cody. He wouldn’t be able to shake that dumbass smile from his mind’s eye no matter how hard he tried. “Hey, Dr. Miller,” his favorite nurse greeted. 

“Hey, Leah,” he smiled. “How are we doing tonight? What does the traffic look like?”

“The staff is dying slowly, of course,” she replied, handing him a small stack of folders. “Luckily the traffic is relatively slow right now. It’s a Thursday night. Room numbers are written on top of each folder, medications have been listed in blue, hope you have a good day.”

“Oh, Leah, baby, tell me we aren’t on opposite shifts,” Noel groaned. 

“Just for this week, honey.” She gave him a pat on the back sympathetically before fleeing for the break room. Leah had instigated using affectionate nicknames with Noel, and other nurses and doctors found their friendship almost  _ too  _ comfortable. Leah and Noel were an efficient team with almost effortless communication. Other staff members found it slightly suspicious that the two often worked similar shifts. The fact that Leah was a raging lesbian with a sweet, nerdy girlfriend didn’t really occur to any of them, so Noel just let the rumors fly to protect them both. He glanced down at Room 214 written on the folder at the top of the pile and headed in that direction. Dr.Miller knew that by the time he worked his way to the bottom folder, he’d be that much closer to going home. 

To Cody.

* * *

Cody’s eyes were burning again. He’d been editing this stupid article and the accompanying photos for at least three hours. He needed a break or he was going to burst into frustrated tears. He started a new batch of coffee and walked back and forth across the apartment a few times to stretch out his cramped legs. He debated going to chat with the crazy lady, Ms. Fairfield. Maybe she really could see his true form; that could be a danger to his and Noel’s future; but he just as quickly dismissed the idea. 

He couldn’t really exercise with these injuries, either.  _ Damn. If only Noel had a cat or something.  _

Instead, he finished up the article in another hour and rummaged through the kitchen for ideas. Cody wasn’t sure what to make for Noel’s post-work, pre-sleep snack. It couldn’t be heavy, because Noel would want to drop into bed immediately after shoving it into his mouth. It couldn’t be just crackers and water, either, because Noel needed all the nutrients he could get when he could get them. Despite taking care of so many other people, Cody noticed that Noel had a tendency to forget about himself in the process.

Maybe something filling but comfortable, like graham crackers and peanut butter dipped in warm milk? Cody smiled at his own genius and turned to enter the kitchen. Noel would be home soon and Cody couldn’t be happier.

* * *

Noel stumbled in, his eyes rimmed with red and his scrubs a mess. He’d had two car accidents in less than three hours, effectively jamming up the emergency room and displacing some of his other patients. He’d stayed twenty minutes late to finish up his paperwork and finish sending through prescriptions for two of the more mobile accident victims. 

“Noel!” Cody beamed, popping up from the couch at the sound of the door. Noel smiled weakly and breathed out heavily. “Not a good day?”

“A very long day,” Noel replied. Cody escorted him to the couch and handed him a mug of warm milk and a plate of graham cracker-peanut butter sandwiches. “Oh my god you really do know how to treat a lady.”

“Ew.” Cody wrinkled his nose up. Noel laughed, the expression both funny and kind of adorable. Cody shot him a quick glare. “Eat up so we can go to bed.”

“We?” Noel asked, shoving a graham cracker into his mouth and spraying the crumbs everywhere as he spoke. “What do you mean, We?”

“I’ll sleep out here and you sleep in your bed, but we’re both going to bed and getting up at the same time.”

“Oh.”

Cody wasn’t sure, but Noel sounded almost  _ disappointed.  _ Why? What did Noel possible have to be disappointed about? He got snacks, he was going to sleep...Cody was trying to go down his mental checklist of things he knew Noel liked. Sleep and food were towards the top and he was mildly confused. 

Noel was meanwhile trying to figure out what sort of dumb, horny demon was posessing him to act like this around Cody. He’d never felt it before. Maybe it was that Hero Syndrome or whatever and Cody was only being so nice because Noel rescued him. He would have acted like this towards whoever found him, but Noel had also taken him in...surely Cody was just being grateful, right? There was no way Cody had a mild crush on Noel, too? 

And so the two beautiful idiots got ready for bed together in the tiny bathroom. They said their goodnights and went their separate ways. Cody snuggled deeply into the comfortable couch, once more in his happy place surrounded by Noel’s scent. Noel was lying alone in his bed, staring at the ceiling and praying to God that he and Cody could have, at the very least, a very strong and happy friendship and at the most, maybe, he could see Cody naked again. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how it be to motivate me (write them good comments)
> 
> Also if you want to get in touch about doing an art for fic trade with me or if you just wanna talk about the story or TMG hit me up on Tumblr at "the104yearoldvirgin" (it is my Twilight sideblog, do not be afraid). See ya'll there, I hope!
> 
> Much love to our Short Kings and their new That's Cringe! Praise be to the Cringe!


	8. Chapter Seven

The hospital had given Noel enough time between his Thursday and Friday shifts to get a full eight hours of sleep, which he was eternally grateful for. When his alarm did go off and he pulled himself out of bed, a mug of coffee was already steaming on his bedside table.  _ Cody really was a genuine gift from Heaven. _

“Morning, dude,” Noel called. 

“Morning!” Cody shouted back. His cheerful voice was muffled slightly by the closed bedroom door between them. Noel chuckled quietly to himself as he stretched and pulled on the closest pair of clean scrubs. They were dark blue, his favorite pair because of the tie-dyed peace sign sewn onto the shirt pocket. He strolled into the kitchen, fully dressed and ready for twelve more hours of work. Cody approached with a bowl of oatmeal and set it on the counter next to Noel, effectively setting the doctor’s heart on fire with the sudden desire to kiss Cody’s cheek. The blonde man asked, “When do you head in?”

“I got back at like, four thirty right?” Noel asked. Suddenly the last three days felt like one day, and Noel needed a moment to inventory the lost time. Cody nodded the affirmative. 

“I slept from five until, what is it, one?” 

“Yup.”

“Cool. My shift starts at two and lasts until two am, then I’m back and have Saturday and Sunday off. I don’t know how I managed to get a free weekend, but someone must have been looking out for me upstairs,” Noel laughed. Cody could only smile pleasantly back, burying his fear at the mention of Heaven. Noel looked up, his eyes meeting Cody’s as a smile brighter than Hell’s eternal fire (Cody realized he needed new, nicer things to compare Noel to) as he suggested, “We should go see a show or something!”

“A show?”

“Like a comedy show. I said ‘or something’ but really I meant comedy. There’s a ton of little clubs around here with pretty decent talent,” Noel explained. Cody nodded along, deep in thought. He couldn’t fake enthusiasm for Noel’s idea because that would be lying. 

“What kind of comedy?” Cody wasn’t really into puppet shows or dry satirical plays, although he was sure that things had changed since medieval times. 

“Stand-up, mostly. Have you ever been to a live stand-up show?”

“No, I have not,” Cody answered. 

“Well then it’s not a question anymore, we’re totally going,” Noel decided, his smile giving no real room for argument. Cody shrugged and replied with his own soft smile that melted Noel so completely he wasn’t sure if his legs were still intact. 

“It’s a date?” Cody asked. It was a clarifying question. He sort-of knew this part of the mortal courting ritual. Dates were going out and doing things together, spending time together in a  _ romantic  _ way. 

Noel choked on his coffee. “Excuse me?”

“Dude, we’re going to see a comedy show and then I’m taking us to get burgers? My first ever burger?” 

“So?”

“So isn’t that, like, a date?” 

“I mean...do you want it to be a date?” Noel finished his question by making heavy eye contact with his coffee mug and biting his lip. Cody almost imploded, his chest contracting  _ hard  _ at the sight of Noel’s sudden and unexpected bashfulness. He took a step forward leaned heavily against the counter. He couldn’t tell Noel anything other than the truth, and it was burning a hole in the back of his throat.

“Yes.”

“Then, yeah, sure, we can make this a date,” Noel smiled. “But it goes against everything I believe about doctor-patient relationships.”

“So, for our official human date,” Cody began. 

“Fuckin alien sounding ass bitch,” Noel snorted.

“So for our first real date,” Cody started again, “We’re going to a comedy club and then I’m taking you for burgers.”

“That actually sounds great. Although I do have to get going back to the hospital. It’ll be another twelve hours. Please try to get to bed by midnight. Don’t wait up until one in the goddamn morning for me to get home.”

“I promise I’ll be in bed by midnight.”

“You’d best not lie to me,” Noel chastised. Cody realized now that he  _ had  _ to be in bed before midnight or he’d be lying. Well he’d accidentally appointed himself a bed time. Lovely. 

“But if I can’t fall asleep, that’s not my fault,” Cody qualified.

“I can’t argue with that. But if you’re honestly still awake at one in the morning after the last seventy-six hours we’ve lived through together, I’d be really surprised. I’m used to living in this hectic nonsensical world, dude, but you have the hair and ass of someone who doesn’t have too many sleepless nights.”

“Yeah, that’s honestly a pretty fair assessment.”

Cody didn’t think it would be polite to mention that he had literally lived through Hell, that he was  _ born  _ from the fires of the underworld. But it seemed like that might be considered rude and perhaps a little shocking. Noel interrupted his thoughts with a quiet, almost regretful:

“I’ve gotta get going. See you soon.”

Cody automatically opened his arms, allowing Noel to slip silently into the embrace. It was natural. They fit against each other well, and Cody breathed in Noel’s comforting aroma deeply. His muscles settled against his bones differently when Noel was around. Generally he was overwhelmed with the excitement of needing to do everything all at once, but he was human now. Something about the way Noel’s hands settled softly above the waistband of Cody’s jeans felt both mildly possessive and extremely comforting. He knew Noel was being careful of his sutures and it felt so  _ protective. _ Cody whispered, too afraid that his voice would give Noel a peek at his unusually strong feelings if he were to raise it, “Come home safe, Noel.”

“I promise.”

And with that, Noel slipped from the apartment. 

* * *

“Anything yet?” Lucifer asked, tapping his foot. This was a pet project and he was giving it more energy than some of his council thought necessary. It wasn’t very often that Lucifer Threw people. Sure, he’d Thrown Cody too soon. Sure, a situation came up where he needed an angel with Cody’s specific skill set and Cody was no longer around. Sure, Lucifer might have potentially made a tiny mistake. It happens.

But it didn’t matter now. A short, nervous-looking demon approached and bowed deeply. “Milord, the boy remains on earth.”

“It’s been nearly four days,” Lucifer growled. The demon scuttled back a few steps, clearly afraid of inciting the Devil’s wrath. “How could an angel of  _ Hell  _ not lied or made any mistakes by now?”

The demon shrugged and backed nervously out of the room. 

* * *

Saturday finally rolled around and Cody was so excited it felt like he would burst through his skin. He’d showered, used some nice cologne he’d found at his apartment, and taken the time to style his hair while Noel took a turn in the shower. The newfound emotions thrumming in his veins were driving him crazy and, for some reason, his genitalia was getting involved. He understood the mortal concept of physical arousal, but he’d never experienced it before. The sensation was both confusing and fascinating. 

He was doing his best not to think about the fact that Noel was less than five feet away, naked and warm and...nope.  _ Nope. Focus, dumbass.  _

“Are you out there thinking about my ass, dude?” Noel asked. 

All he heard in response was the gentle  _ click  _ of the door closing. 

When Noel finally exited the bathroom, clean and styled and looking like some sort of racially ambiguous male model, Cody nearly died. It took everything in his power not to fly across the room and slam his lips against Noel’s purely on instinct. His black t-shirt was slightly fitted and his jeans were verging on skinny but not quite landing there. Cody hoped he wasn’t drooling. “Bitch, what’re you staring at?”

“Oh, sorry.” Cody shook his head a little like he was making sure it was on straight, “You just look really great.”

“Oh, shit, thanks man.”

“Yeah.”

There was a pause. Noel jerked his thumb towards the door.

“So, are you ready to head out?”

“Yeah! Which comedy club are we going to?”

Noel paused to look at his phone. “Uh...Underground Coffee House?”

“You’re taking me to see a comedian at a fucking  _ cafe _ ?” Cody laughed. “Dude that’s kinda gay.”

Noel gestured between the two of them and squinted like  _ well, yeah, dumbass.  _ The ride to the venue was full of comfortable conversation. Noel told Cody a few of his funnier hospital stories and Cody filled Noel in about his latest article. They shared their favorite colors, foods, and movies (with Cody’s answers being chosen on the fly). By the time they were seated in a booth and handed menus, Cody’s cheeks were already in mild pain from smiling so much. He was also full of hummingbirds again, his heart hammering away like some sort of crazed alt-rock drummer doing a solo. 

“I’ll have a plain decaf and a slice of carrot cake, please,” Noel ordered. He rarely treated himself to sweets and since tickets to the show were only ten bucks apiece, he could afford to get something nice for himself and Cody. He’d chosen decaf, not wanting to stay up any later than he had to on a night off. The waitress turned to look at Cody and he panicked.

“I-uh…I,” Cody glanced back at the menu, his eyes wide and full of anxiety. Noel interrupted smoothly.

“He’ll have a decaf cappuccino and a creme brulee.”

The waitress smiled, nodded, and swung deftly into the surprisingly heavy foot traffic of the coffee house. 

“I hope that’s alright, dude. I figured you’d like cappuccinos and I honestly just wanted a bite of their creme brulee. You can have most of it, though,” Noel smirked. Cody smiled gratefully and ducked his head, turning to glance around the room.

Noel took a moment to drink everything in on one of his rare nights on the town. This venue was a favorite. It was an unconventional setting for comedy; the walls were all dark red and brown brick and the mahogany tables and bar gave the whole establishment the air of a speakeasy. There were two levels and a small staircase between them. The first level, where he sat with Cody, was all burgundy leather booths around tables big enough for two or three people. The back half of the room contained similar booths, but larger, varied in size to seat parties of four to ten people. The bar lined the far right wall and was manned by no less than four bartenders at any given time. Their coffee-based alcoholic drinks were some of Noel’s guiltiest pleasures. It was the kind of place he expected to see Hollywood style Mafiosos, not scrawny college stand-up comedians and middle aged men who told questionable jokes. Either way, the energy was always high and the waitresses were always the friendliest.

He watched as Cody’s eyes scanned the stage, nervously glancing down at the candle flickering at the center of the table every once and awhile. His dirty blond hair looked incredibly soft he way he’d swept it up and over like that; Noel’s fingers itched to play with it. The way Cody had dressed wasn’t helping his situation, either; the red button up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, the black skinny jeans that fit just right, the plain black Vans that all just screamed  _ fuckboy  _ so goddamn loud. Noel was thinking about how soft Cody’s skin was when a hand was suddenly waving in front of his face. “Is the point of a date for one guy to totally ignore the other one?”

“Sorry, dude.”

“So, anyway, where do you want to go for burgers after this?” Cody asked. Someone was puttering around on the stage, adjusting the mic stand for the first act. Noel glanced at his watch,  _ ten minutes until show time.  _

“There’s a really great bar around the corner. They have amazing food and the music ain’t so bad, either,” Noel suggested. Cody beamed.

“That actually sounds amazing!”

“Do you want to dance maybe?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Cody said. His eyebrows were pulled together and his jaw jutted forward as he mouthed  _ duh, dude.  _ “Do you think I have this ass for any other reason?”

“Damn dude, hold on. I don’t wanna leave before the first act even hits the stage. I like the second act, he’s a great comedian.”

“I’ll try to keep my tempting to a minimum,” Cody teased. Noel rolled his eyes, but his heart was hammering against his ribcage.  _ I swear to God if I get a boner during a comedy show I’ll cry myself to sleep.  _

The lights dimmed before Cody could do any additional damage to Noel’s ego, and their attention turned to the stage (and sharing their desserts). The first act was surprisingly funny, and Noel was granted many opportunities to listen as Cody belly-laughed. “Oh Noel, this may very well be the best night of my life so far!”

Noel smirked at Cody, and their eye contact was suddenly charged with something more. Both of them understood that things were about to change between them. Tonight was important. Sure, Noel had only known Cody for three days and he’d been gone at work for half of them. Sure, Cody was hiding a magnificent secret from the man he was beginning to feel for. Neither of them really cared, in that moment, because something bigger was at work here. 

So Noel smirked, and Cody blushed, and the comedian made a joke that the audience found hilarious but neither of them heard.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed me reviews and chapters come out!
> 
> Nothing but mad respect my Short Kings and their irl lovers.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I chose those lyrics on purpose.

Cody hadn’t expected the show to be as funny as it was. His sides were cramped by the time they left the coffee house and his abs felt like he’d just flown a thousand miles. Or at least it triggered a phantom muscle memory in his shoulders and stomach. Cody sensed that it might be where his wings used to be connected to the rest of his musculature. 

He buried the thought as Noel led him by the hand down the street and over two blocks to the bar with the good burgers, as promised. For the entire time their fingers were linked, Cody’s heart was caught in his throat. Noel could have been leading him off a cliff and he would have followed with a smile. The world was beautiful because Noel was in it with him, Cody decided.

When they finally had the chance to eat, the angel nearly cried with happiness and declared burgers, “The best thing mankind has ever done.”

Noel nearly choked on a bite of a fry as he held back more laughter. “Really that good, bruh?” 

“Dude, I cannot explain to you the love I have for this food in an accurate way,” Cody admitted. It was the truth. This experience was entirely new for him and he was savoring every mortal moment of it. He only got to discover the world once, really. And he’d only get to see a fraction of it in the brief lifespan of a human. 

“I’m glad you’re having a good time,” Noel chuckled. “It’s a good thing you’re not, like, vegan or some shit.”

“Vegan?”

“You  _ forgot  _ vegans? You lucky motherfucker.”

Cody wiped his mouth on a napkin and glanced towards the dance floor. Noel rolled his eyes. The bartender wandered over and cleared their plates. “Anything else I can get you?”

The question was aimed primarily at Cody, Noel noticed. Cody looked to Noel for an answer. 

“I think we’re good,” the doctor stated. He handed the bartender his card with an innocent smile. Cody was still staring at the dancefloor, transfixed. 

“If you go dancing after eating all of that, you’ll get a cramp and drown,” the bartender interrupted.

“For real,” Noel agreed. He hoped to avoid any unnecessary conversation, but Cody was making it nearly impossible with his extroverted tendencies. 

“Listen, I’m satisfied, but in no way am I incapable of dancing right now.”

“Cody, dude, you’ll pass the fuck out,” Noel snorted. The bartender wandered to take care of someone else.

“I don’t like him very much,” Cody muttered, his head leaning closer to Noel’s conspiratorially. 

“Me neither,” Noel agreed. 

“I do really want to dance, though.”

“Dude, you’re not even gonna drink?” 

“Drink?”

“Like...alcohol?” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever had that, either,” Cody blushed. He felt so stupid. Noel was worldly, full of human experiences and memories. Cody was missing 20% of his body mass, leased an immaculate apartment that had never seen human life before, and had a fake ID. He felt like an imposter, like he didn’t deserve to be this close to Noel’s natural, living warmth. Cody watched, full of wonder, as Noel ordered him a Long Island Iced Tea from a different bartender. 

* * *

Lucifer did not like possessing people. It was tedious business. He’d much rather manipulate someone into doing whatever he wanted of their own will, that was far more entertaining. Alas, he didn’t have the time for theatrics. He grabbed hold of the bartender’s sinful thoughts about Cody and rode the wave directly into his soul. Once he situated himself in the new skin, it was easy to slip the pill into Cody’s drink. It was easy to hand it to Noel without a harmless, mortal Cody picking up on his presence. It was easy to disappear from the human body and resume his slumped pose on the throne of Hell. It was easy to leave everyone in the bar none the wiser.

* * *

When Noel handed him the cold glass, Cody downed the contents as quickly as possible. He was itching to dance; wanted more than anything to touch Noel in the same way the couples on the dance floor were touching. He saw a man gently kiss his female dance partner’s neck and Cody had to stop himself from tilting his own neck to the side on instinct. The very human sensation of arousal was beginning to flare up again.  _ I’m going to die on this fucking barstool,  _ he decided.

The beat of the music reverberated against Cody’s skull and sent his heart racing against his ribcage in an exciting new way. He couldn’t hold back anymore. Grabbing Noel by the wrist, Cody dragged him away from the bar and into the crowd. “ _ With a taste of your lips I’m on a ride, you’re toxic I’m slipping under.” _

Noel followed as Cody maneuvered through dancing couples and odd clumps of friends scattered across the floor. When the blonde stopped tugging him forward, Noel saw they were close to the speakers; closer than Noel would have liked but clearly in Cody’s sweet spot. “ _ With a taste of a poison paradise...I’m addicted to you, don’t you know that you’re toxic?” _

This half of the building was darker, allowing the colorful flashing lights above the DJ booth to build an energetic atmosphere. Noel didn’t have a chance to lean forward and ask Cody how he wanted to dance either; the shorter man pulled Noel’s hips flush against his ass. “ _ It’s getting late to give you up, I took a sip from my devil’s cup. Slowly, it’s taking over me.” _

“Oh Jesus, Cody.” He desperately hoped Cody wouldn’t notice the fact he was at half-mast in his jeans. The music at this place was pretty good, and starting off with Britney Spears had been excellent. He let himself relax into it; this was just a casual date, after all. 

Cody was a brilliant dancer. He moved rhythmically, always hitting the beat and grinding almost artistically with his hips in ways that should have been considered illegal, in Noel’s personal opinion. The doctor was careful not to touch Cody’s back too much, keeping most of their physical contact at waist level or below for Cody’s own comfort. He had his hands resting gently atop the blonde’s hips, allowing Cody to control everything that happened between them. This was Cody’s night of new experiences, and Noel was having a blast just observing. Noel interrupted his own thoughts:  _ Ah shit, I’m such a sappy dumbass. Just shut up and enjoy being with him, fucknut.  _

So he did. As the next song began, things started to get slightly more intense between them. Cody and Noel moved against each other like oil and water, touching along every plane but somehow still separate beings. After about twenty minutes of Noel doing his best to control all of his various  _ parts  _ while still enjoying himself, he noticed Cody’s movements begin to change. The slightly shorter man was straying from the beat, stumbling a little from side to side as he moved. Noel watched Cody flinch as he leaned forward a bit too far and pulled on his sutures. One of his hands grabbed back at Noel’s for balance and the doctor felt how clammy Cody’s skin had become. “Cody?”

Noel held Cody’s shoulders gently and turned him around so they were face-to-face. Cody’s pupils were wide, his hazel eyes unfocused and slightly glazed. “Noel! I’m so glad you’re dancing with me!”

“Oh fuck.”

“Noel, you have such soft pants.”

The young doctor looped an arm around Cody’s shoulders and guided him away from the dance speakers, off the dancefloor. Cody struggled a little at first, sticking out his lower lip in a dramatic pout. “Noeeeeel, I was having a good time. You might have kissed me on the neck like that other guy and his girlfriend.”

“Cody, I think we need to go home, okay?”

“Are you going to  _ kiss me  _ at home?” Cody asked. He grabbed Noel’s face with one hand, forcing him to make the childhood “fish face”. Noel gently removed Cody’s hand from his cheeks and held it in both of his own, trying to convey his level of worry.

“I need to take you home and take care of you, alright, Cody? I need you to come with me and lay down in the passenger seat. You can pick what we listen to on the radio, alright?” 

“Yeah, okay,” Cody consented, smiling placidly as Noel led him out of the club. He situated Cody in the passenger’s seat of his car and handed him a plastic bag. 

“If you feel sick, throw up into this,” Noel instructed. Sure, his car was shitty and from somewhere around 2004, but it was the only car he had and he didn’t feel like spending his other day off cleaning up. Not even cleaning up after Cody’s pretty, stupid ass.

“I don’t feel sick, I feel very floaty and warm and tired,” Cody listed. Noel nodded and handed Cody his phone.

“You can pick the music, floaty boy,” Noel instructed. Cody squinted into the light of the phone for a few minutes, typing things and shaking his head. Noel assumed he was looking through playlists, but really Cody was trying to find the lyrics to the first song that had been playing on the dancefloor. When he finally found it, he smiled smugly and pressed play.

_ “Baby can’t you see I’m calling? A guy like you should wear a warning. It’s dangerous, I’m falling,”  _ Cody sang along. Noel knew that Cody had been drugged. He suspected the bartender, who had been eyeing Cody up even during his ravenous, almost animal-like attack on the burger. That Long Island Iced Tea was certainly not enough to kick Cody’s ass this hard, and alcohol wouldn’t have dilated his eyes like that. Luckily, Cody was in the safest place possible: with a doctor who had a crush on him. 

When Noel finally managed to wrangle Cody back into the apartment, the worst of it hit. Cody threw up a few times, wincing when the force of it yanked his shoulders forward and pulled the sutures tight. He was healing up nicely, but the incisions had been deep and had a ways to go yet. Noel wiped the sheen of sweat from Cody’s forehead with a damp washcloth, happy that his mother had insisted on purchasing them despite his claims that he “wouldn’t ever need one”. 

“Hey, dude, I really like you,” Cody stated. Noel had gotten him propped against the wall, sitting with his legs crossed on the cold tile while Noel sat on the edge of the tub. Cody’s hair was a haystack, poking up everywhere at odd angles. The lower layer of his bangs was damp with sweat and stuck to the sides of his flushed face. The red shirt Noel had admired earlier was unbuttoned almost down to Cody’s navel; he’d shucked his jeans the second he entered the house. Now he sat in silent awe of Noel’s apparent attractiveness, wearing only plain black briefs and that hellishly sinful shirt. His eyes were still glassy, but focused hard on Noel’s mouth. Noel didn’t know what to do. 

“Thanks, man. You’re pretty cute, too.”

“I don’t feel well.”

“I know. I’m sorry, hun.”

“Haha,” Cody’s sudden, throaty laugh was so quintessentially  _ fuckboy _ that Noel giggled at it. Cody’s eyebrows furrowed, “What’s so funny?”

“Your laugh. We could write a really shitty rap and put that laugh at the beginning and it would fucking  _ sell.  _ You’re such a fuckboy, Cody.”

“Yes.”

“Oh my god, shameless.”

“What’s there to be ashamed about?” Cody asked. Noel stopped his teasing. Cody was right. What  _ was  _ there to be ashamed about? Cody certainly wasn’t about to hide his feelings from Noel, so was it really fair that Noel hold himself back?

So what if Noel was a doctor? He was going to end up treating some sort of injury on any given significant other. Humans were dumbasses, constantly getting themselves scraped or bumped or broken. So what if it happened to be the world’s weirdest amnesia case? Cody was happy, doing his job and re-learning everything about the world. There was nothing wrong with that. There was nothing wrong with admitting that he liked Cody a lot.

“You’re right, dude.”  
Cody did the fuckboy laugh again and Noel’s worry was momentarily overridden by his boner. He broke the spell in order to get Cody more comfortable.

“Hey, Chode-y, are you done yelling at my toilet?” 

“Yeah, I think so. Do you have like, a bucket or something, just in case?” Cody asked. He was beginning to sound slightly more coherent, and the doctor was relieved. Noel nodded and grabbed his mop bucket from the back of the small closet. He found Cody wrapped up like a burrito in his blanket on the couch, his head poking out on top. His neck was bare and Noel could see a collarbone peeking out slightly on one side;  _ oh shit, he’s only in his underwear.  _ Noel dropped the bucket on one side of Cody and took a seat on the other. 

“Wanna watch Westworld?” Cody asked. He’d watched the first episode on Netflix and found himself hooked. The robots being whisked from one world to the other felt familiar to Cody; he empathized with them deeply.

“Yeah, sure,” Noel smiled. He knew he should probably take Cody to the hospital to get blood drawn and tested, but what would that do? Cody would be freaked out in this state, Noel didn’t have any evidence to point to a perpetrator, and then he’d have to explain Cody’s sutures. It was easier for everyone, Cody included, to wait it out safely at home and maybe get urine tested the next morning. 

“I’m comin’ in,” Cody declared. Before Noel could ask what he meant by that, Cody had flopped over and laid his head on Noel’s leg. He’d moved the bucket to the floor in front of him, but seemed much calmer now. One of his bare legs was thrown over the leg of the couch and Noel traced it with his eyes. Cody wasn’t fat, but he certainly wasn’t all muscle. There were areas of his body that could be classified as thicc, and his thighs were included. This moment wasn’t for boners, though (especially not with Cody’s head so damn close to his junk). He settled for running his fingers gently through Cody’s hair. From front to back, over and over, Noel kept combing his hands through the  _ incredibly soft  _ hair.

Cody’s eyes were having a tough time focusing as Noel watched Cody watch Westworld. 

“Good night, Cody,” Noel said. His hands didn’t pause in their movements.

“Night, Noel,” Cody replied softly. A few moments later Noel was listening to some Wild West sound effects as Cody snored away on his lap. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed me your delicious comments and chapters will come out!! 
> 
> hmu on Tumblr, I'm super chill. 
> 
> Mad love for the Short Kings.


	10. Chapter Nine

Cody woke up with a mild stomach-ache and no memory of getting home from the bar the night before. He couldn’t move his arms, and for a moment his fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. The familiar smell of Noel’s comforter broke the panic, however, and Cody took a look around. He was wrapped up like a burrito and tucked neatly into Noel’s couch, still wearing his shirt from last night, apparently. Slowly, since he had to lean heavily on the arm of the couch for support, Cody lifted himself up and squinted into the sunlight. “Noel?”

“You finally awake, dude?” 

Noel was sitting at the kitchen table, his laptop open in front of him. The sun had definitely been up for awhile, and the sliding glass door was illuminating Noel from behind. He looked truly Heavenly. “Why didn’t you wake me up? What time is it?”

“It’s around noon. I’m also pretty sure you were drugged last night so in my professional opinion I thought you needed a bit more sleep. You’re welcome, Mr. Ko.”

“Oh shit. That would explain why my stomach feels like a washing machine full of bricks,” Cody chuckled. He managed to disentangle himself from the blankets and join Noel at the table. “I’m so sorry if I did something stupid last night or ended up being a hassle.”

“Bro, it’s not your fault that somebody mickeyed your drink.”

“I would just feel bad if I behaved poorly or said anything hurtful,” Cody explained. “Especially since I managed to get drugged on our first date.”

“That’ll be a fun story for the grandkids, eh?” Noel laughed. “Remember when Grampa Chode-y got roofied?”

“He’s a colossal dumbass,” Cody played along. 

“Colossal moron,” Noel nodded solemnly. They both smiled at each other from across the table for a moment before Noel added, “You gonna put some pants on, hot stuff?”

“Oh shit, yeah, sorry.”

The sound of Noel’s laugh followed Cody into the bathroom. “Fucking hell, Cody, get your shit together,” he told himself in the mirror. He brushed his teeth, fixed his hair, and shaved. He knew he hadn’t lied to Noel while under the influence of whatever they’d slipped him; otherwise he would have been dragged immediately to Hell. But if he’d said anything too weird or personal, he would feel guilty for making his host and highkey crush uncomfortable. 

Cody knew had to send in his article today before four in the afternoon, but otherwise his agenda was free. Maybe Noel would let him cook dinner; he kind of enjoyed the peace of mind that being in the kitchen gave him. He could focus on something and when he was finished, there was a visible (and generally delicious) result. He could see his own progress.

“You comin’ out, dude?” Noel asked from the other side of the door.

“Almost done.”

“Aight.”

Cody stepped out, wearing joggers and nothing else. His teeth were clean and his hair was styled nicely, swept up and back like some douchey Prince Charming. He was shirtless because he assumed Noel would want to apply some ointment again; his injuries were starting to pull in an odd and uncomfortable way that didn’t feel _ right _. Cody reluctantly interrupted Noel’s conspicuous ogling: “Hey, are you gonna put some of that stuff on my back today? It’s kinda starting to pull tight and hurt a little.”

“Oh shit, sorry,” Noel set the two mugs of coffee he’d been holding on the bedside table and positioned Cody so he was sitting on the edge of the bed.. Noel grabbed the medication and climbed onto the mattress, settling in behind Cody and inspecting the sutures. The wounds were healing nicely, and he’d be able to remove the stiches sooner than he’d anticipated. Noel smiled absently as he started his work, “So, how was your first burger, mortal man?” 

“Damn good,” Cody smiled. Noel warmed the medication between his hands before applying it to the top of the cut on the right side. “I am so excited to try other burgers from new places.”

“And your first club experience?”

“Other than being roofied?”

“Yeah, not so much that part.”

“Well?” Noel’s heart was in his throat and his stomach simultaneously in anticipation of Cody’s answer. He’d wanted to kiss Cody so badly last night, but was honestly pretty happy for an excuse not to. Things were moving a little faster than Noel was used to, and he didn’t want their potential relationship to be tainted by the doctor-patient hero scenario they’d found themselves in. 

“I actually had a really great time, regardless of the accidental inebriation. The burger was amazing, the coffee house was cool, and I really enjoyed dancing with you.”

Cody’s face had flushed when he answered and for a moment he was glad Noel was sitting behind him, clueless and not making any jokes at Cody’s expense. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to take it if Noel laughed off his obvious feelings. Noel’s fingers were grazing the lower half of the right cut now, gently and carefully taking care of his injuries. Cody felt that odd human warmth in the pit of his stomach. “Did you enjoy dancing with me?”

“Dude, honestly...I had an amazing time. There’s something about you, man, and I dig it.”

“I have good vibes?” Cody asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Noel chuckled lightly and Cody felt that lovely emotion thrum through his veins again; unrecognizable but utterly addictive.

“You’re warm, and I like that about you.” _ Ah shit fuck, why did I say that? _

“Thanks. I really like you too, Cody.”

Cody could have died right then, with his name still dripping off the tip of Noel’s tongue.

* * *

“What in the ever loving _ fuck _do you mean it’s been two weeks?” Lucifer seethed. He’d been eagerly awaiting Cody’s arrival for some time and was becoming extremely impatient. The lesser demons came to him very rarely for help and his favorite advisor had admonished him for being overzealous in handling minor punishments. The lowest levels of Hell had been in worse torment than ever before.

Lucifer wanted Cody’s return to be as dramatic as possible. He’d set aside five of his most terrifying demons to drag the little angel back from the mortal realm. They’d been supplied with whatever instruments of restraint they’d asked for (they’d been very creative, Lucifer noted) and their only instructions were to bring him back without any permanent damage. He’d preserved Cody’s wings as well, knowing that the angel would be generally useless without them. Reattaching them wouldn’t be too much of a miracle for him to manage. 

He’d chosen some of his finest hellhounds to be posted outside the boy’s escape-proof cell around the clock. There was no way the Prince of Darkness was about to let this particular angel sneak back to his _ stupid _ little _ human _ . Lucifer paused his pacing and glanced out the window of his throne room. “Oh, darling, this is _ too _good,” he laughed. Two small demons, who were tending the fireplace in the center of the room, skittered nervously at his words. “Don’t work yourselves into a tizzy, dears. You’ve nothing to worry about.”

He strode from the throne room and down the hallway, glaring ahead in a way that moved any obstacles almost magically from his path. He slammed a heavy door open and entered his study in the usual dramatic manner. From the corner of the room a voice questioned: “Is that you, Milord?” 

“Oh thank god you’re here, Aleister, I need your opinion,” Lucifer sighed. He draped himself over a particularly comfortable armchair and pouted in his friend’s general direction. 

Aleister Crowley had been a blast during the Victorian era, throwing all those occult parties and giving Lucifer plenty of breeding ground for Sin; so when he finally kicked the bucket, the Devil had befriended him. Aleister was his confidante, his closest thing to a friend, and honestly Hell wouldn’t be the same without him around. The once-mortal was sneaky, curious, and excellent at coming up with devious new ways to Tempt the realm of man. At the very least, Lucifer considered him useful. 

“Honey, you’re going to give yourself creases with the way you’re worrying your eyebrows together,” Aleister replied. 

“I’m scared that I might have feelings for the stupid little angel I Threw,” Lucifer admitted. Aleister let out a soft chuckle and took a seat on the ottoman. The Devil’s long legs were thrown over the arm of the chair haphazardly, and he looked almost childish with his face pulled into an exaggerated frown. 

“You’re just possessive, Luc,” Aleister shrugged. “You don’t like the fact that some mortal boy is playing with one of your toys because you decided you didn’t want it anymore. You can’t give to charity and then steal your donation back from the underprivileged. You let the angel go in one of your fits and now you have to follow your own rules regarding his mortal life.”

“That’s bullshit,” Lucifer snorted. “I would never be so shallow.”

“Luc, darling,” the man smiled, “You’re such a child when it comes to having your playthings. You only want something as soon as you can’t have it. Wait until he comes back. You’ll get bored or disappointed again and the cycle will just repeat.”

“You may be right, Al. I still want him back, regardless. If I want to play with him and toss him again that’s my right.”

“Right again, Milord. You’re the King of Hell, the Prince of Darkness, and that stupid little angel belongs to you. All of him. How dare that mortal presume to touch what belongs to you.”

“I’m going to make him pay when he gets back,” Lucifer smirked. Aleister rolled his eyes and retreated back to his reading. The Devil was stuck in his ways after thousands of years, and nobody could hope for that to change.

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“I’m the King of Hell.”

* * *

Cody and Noel hadn’t gone on another date since the first one; and that had been last week. Noel deemed Cody healed (and intelligent) enough to move back into his own apartment, which felt odd to both of them after being so close together for a whole week. After Cody had moved out, Noel’s apartment felt soulless and empty again. Cody had been far better than any stupid cat and now he had moved out indefinitely. Noel briefly considered hiring a hitman to hit Cody nonfatally with a car so he’d have to move back, but it had literally been a brief second and then he’d said out loud to himself: “What the fuck, dude?” 

Instead of planning an accident for Cody, Noel worked himself into a fog with four 12-hour days in a row. Cody had spent all four of those days draped over his desktop, working tirelessly to perfect two articles that weren’t even due until the end of the month. He was trying desperately to distract himself from the dull ache in his chest that just _ missed Noel _more than Cody thought possible. They’d become part of each other’s schedule in that short span of time. Something about being around Noel made Cody feel incredibly safe. He picked up his phone and opened the messaging app. 

_ From: Chode-y _

_ Hey dude, when are you free next? _

_ From: Hoel _

_ Hey! I work tomorrow but then I scored three days off! _

_ From: Chode-y _

_ Any room in one of those days to hang out? _

_ From: Hoel _

_ Yeah dude! Plus I think I can remove your stitches now :) _

Cody winced, thinking about the sensation of string pulling away from his skin. He wasn’t looking forward to that particular procedure but he would suffer through it if Noel was touching him. He’d missed their little ritual of applying the medication. It had been soothing. He missed having Noel's hands on him at all. The warmth that radiated from Noel was a drug that Cody had become helplessly addicted to in the time they'd spent together. Going without it was killing him faster than his injuries ever would have, had they gone untreated. Cody ached for Noel in the same way a sailor yearned for dry land after a month at sea. Noel had developed into the center-point of Cody's personal compass and every waking moment he spent alone drove the angel mad. 

They texted back and forth for half an hour, both beaming into their phones from separate locations. They made plans to get lunch together and run some errands on Noel’s first day off, allowing some time for the exhausted doctor to sleep in. Cody had considered getting the building super to let him into the apartment to make Noel breakfast in bed, but he felt that it would be too much too soon. The casual afternoon plans had been labeled a “date” (by Noel this time) and Cody’s heart thrummed warmly in his chest with the excitement. Life was so much better with Noel, even in the easily-damaged mortal body. 

But Noel and Cody’s days together were numbered. And the number was getting smaller. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up in the mortal realm, my dudes. Also I'm gonna be posting my Halloween TMG oneshot sometime today too, so keep an eye out and drop me some nice words if you'd like.
> 
> Mad love for my Short Kings.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I'm not saying that this story is hexed because as soon as I started writing it the boys started posting content regularly again, but hey...I'm not denying it.

When Noel’s day off finally rolled around, both men were feeling equally nervous for their second date. Noel had been pacing back and forth across his apartment for half an hour; his eyes rarely left the green digital clock on the stove as it ticked towards the time he’d leave to pick up Cody. He’d wiped heels of his palms on his pants to dry them at least three times but the anxiety just wouldn’t dissipate.

_ Oh God, seeing Cody again!  _ It felt like it had been years. The hours Noel spent at the hospital were fulfilling in the best way possible, but they still drained him emotionally and physically. When he’d had that beautiful week with another person in the house, there had someone to feed off of. Having some energy in his apartment made his life feel brighter and more complete; it sucked being alone again. Cody was like a desperately needed nap during the middle of a long shift. He was like having a drink of water after being parched for the entirety of a never-ending department meeting. Cody radiated energy. And today Noel would get to see him again! Noel had forced himself to dress normally despite his deep seated urge to  _ impress  _ the _ ever loving shit  _ out of his crush. Rather than going for a nice jacket or slacks, Noel stuck to a pair of dark denim jeans and a long-sleeved yellow t-shirt with a baseball cap to top it all off. Just casual, every day, errand running Noel.

When he finally pulled up in front of Cody’s apartment complex, heart hammering gloriously against the inside of his esophagus, he suspected that Cody would outshine him. Moments later, as the handsome blonde came bouncing down the stairs, Noel’s suspicions were confirmed. Acid-washed jeans with holes in the knees, an art-deco t-shirt that hugged his biceps just right, and his hair in that  _ ungodly sexy  _ side-swept mess. If Noel had been in high school, he would have busted a nut right there in his jeans. Luckily he was not in high school, so he popped out of the car to open Cody’s door for him as he approached.

“Oh wow! This is some five star treatment,” Cody beamed, opening his arms to pull Noel in for a hug. Noel pretended not to notice Cody sniffing his hair and Cody pretending not to notice how low Noel’s hands were resting on his hips. 

“Get in, dumbass.”

“Ah, there’s my sweet boy,” Cody laughed, ducking down to get into the passenger’s seat. Noel closed the door gently and walked around the front of the car to his own side. The blonde was already buckled in by the time Noel sat down. “How was work?”

“Too long, too busy, and too hot,” Noel listed. “But luckily there weren’t a ton of accidents or natural disasters near my ER this week so I didn’t have to do anything  _ too _ scary or nasty.”

“That’s good,” Cody smiled. “Are you taking out the stitches tonight?”

“Yours? Yeah, probably. I’ll make sure it’s after lunch and long before dinner, though, cause it might feel a little odd. Some people get queasy.”

“Gross.”

“A bit, but necessary,” Noel shrugged. They had pulled out into traffic and Noel’s eyes were glued to the road. “How was your week?”

“I worked, mostly. I’ve finished a few articles and written some proposals to get approved. Mostly I just wanted to text you, but I knew you were booked up with work.”

“I still have time to text you, dude. My hands still function.”

“Yeah, but you need rest.”

The concern was evident in Cody’s face and it took all of Noel’s power to keep his eyes on the road. It was almost adorable enough to risk life and limb for, but with the precious cargo he was carrying, he opted to stay vigilant. 

“I have been resting, dude, but thanks for the concern.”

“I just worry about you,” Cody sighed. “You always throw yourself into taking care of everyone else. Without anybody in that apartment to keep an eye on you, I’m afraid you won’t take care of yourself. Your fridge was so empty when you let me stay.”

“Well yeah, but I also worked three back-to-back shifts and hadn’t been shopping for like a week and yeah, nevermind. I see what you were talking about.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you suggesting I get a roommate?” 

“Maybe. Or hire a maid or something. Maybe subscribe to one of those grocery delivery services? Maybe I can write a few extra articles this month and do that for you, as a thank you for your help,” Cody rambled. Noel didn’t interrupt. “Actually, yeah. That’s exactly what I’m going to do for you. To thank you for your hard work and your complete selflessness in saving my dumb ass I’ll hire somebody to deliver you groceries on a regular basis.”

“So is lunch on you, too?” Noel joked.

“Sure!” 

“Oh shit, man, I was totally fucking with you.”

“I wasn’t. Lunch is on me this time around, okay?” 

“Alright. Where do you want to go then, since it’s your treat?”

“Honestly, I could go for anything that isn’t sushi. I’m hungry as hell and sushi just won’t cut it for me.”

It wasn’t a lie. Cody was hungry for something filling and he didn’t have a particular craving. Leaving Noel in charge meant he’d find another great place to eat while on earth, anyway. 

“How about Mexican food?”

“Oh shit, yeah. I don’t really know any good local places.”

“I’ve got you covered.” Noel navigated them to his favorite taco truck and parked nearby. As he ushered Cody across the street he explained,“These guys are great. They usually hang out around this general area on weekdays and then on the weekends they book events or gigs or whatever.” 

Cody was caught up in his enthusiasm. They decided on getting two vegetarian and two carne asada tacos and splitting them, so each man got one of each kind. “Now  _ this  _ is meal planning,” Noel joked squeezing a lime over his vegetarian taco. 

“The only thing I’m planning to do with this meal is shove it shamelessly into my big ol’ face hole,” Cody replied, already holding one halfway to his mouth. Noel quickly followed suit and the following thirty seconds were spent in happy, companionable silence. Cody rolled his eyes and moaned dramatically, “Holy shit dude.”

“Right?” 

“I owe you my life for showing me this truck.” 

“You’re welcome. So, what kinds of errands do you need to run today?” Noel asked, wiping his greasy fingers on a napkin in order to check the time on his phone. Cody pulled out his own phone and squinted at the screen for a moment as he navigated to his note-taking app. 

“I made a list! Okay, uhm, I definitely need to get more toilet paper and yoghurt. I also need to get some printer paper and milk.”

“What a lovely, slightly unorthodox list,” Noel chuckled. “Alright. I need some stuff for the office, too. Why don’t we hit an office supply store and a grocery store. I think those two stops should knock everything out.”

“Sounds like a plan, my man,” Cody joked. Noel raised an eyebrow.

“Since when did I agree to become your man?”

“Oh, shit, dude. I was just joking.”

Noel couldn’t help but melt at the panicked way Cody was looking at him, as if offending Noel was the greatest sin he could have ever committed. Noel shook his head and ruffled Cody’s hair.

“Nah, you’re good dude. I wouldn’t mind being your man, honestly.”  _ Why the fuck did that have to be said out loud?  _

“Oh. Well…” Cody paused. He took a deep breath and looked Noel dead in the eyes. “I really like you and I wouldn’t  _ mind _ if you wanted to put a label on things. Maybe be boyfriends?”

Noel couldn’t believe his luck.  _ Play it smooth, dude.  _

“Boyfriends? Puh-lease, you know you’re my bitch,” Noel laughed, ruffling Cody’s hair.  _ Nailed it.  _ Cody frowned and took their empty paper plates over to the compost bin. 

“Let’s get this show on the road, asshole!” 

“I’m comin’.”

The office store only took them ten minutes, but in the grocery store Cody made his big move. He reached out and took Noel’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers slowly. When Noel didn’t resist, Cody gave a gentle squeeze. When Noel squeezed back, his heart hit the front of his ribcage. “That’s sugar  _ gay  _ dude,” Noel smirked. Cody blushed back in silence.

Noel loved how easy and comfortable it was to be with the other man (and how easy it was to turn Cody’s face a cute shade of pink). Life was simpler when it was just the two of them. “What kind of yoghurt?”

“Strawberry!”

“That was a lot of enthusiasm for one fruit.”

“There’s lots of enthusiasm to be had.”

Grocery shopping was fun when they were together, and sooner rather than later, Noel and Cody were headed back to Noel’s apartment for a movie and dinner (which Cody had offered to make). Noel watched as Cody moved effortlessly through his kitchen, having already memorized the location of Noel’s pots and pans. He didn’t even ask for permission as he rifled through the spice cupboard, his tongue poking out slightly as he concentrated on reading the tiny labels. Noel glanced at Cody’s butt. Why did short dudes always compensate with humor and thicc asses? Noel sensed a pattern but he certainly wasn’t complaining. 

* * *

Lucifer felt the vibration starting and he smiled with glee. “Oh, Aleister, darling, I’m going to have such fun!”

“Oh, is it the boy?”

“Yes, darling,” Lucifer winked. “Wish me luck.”

“Have fun, dear.”

This would be an excellent opportunity to fuck with Cody; torment  _ was  _ Lucifer’s favorite passtime, after all. Once again, the Devil focused on the vibrations of Temptation radiating off Noel Miller. He took hold of one and let it sweep him into the jumble and chaos of human emotion. Noel’s mind was  _ full  _ of sinful thoughts regarding Lucifer’s pet angel. Frowning, the Devil slid easily into the driver’s seat of the human’s corporeal form to take control. 

Lucifer changed the color of the human’s eyes from brown to red with a firm blink. He lurched forward suddenly, grabbing Cody and slamming his back against the wall. “Noel what the fu-”

“Noel, what the fuck?” Lucifer mimicked, mocking Cody’s frightened facial expression on his own borrowed face. As he watched realization dawn in the angel’s eyes, he pushed Cody into the wall a little harder. “ _ Noel _ ain’t home, honey.”

“Shit, fuck, let me go!” Cody struggled against Lucifer’s grip, his hands scrabbling at the wall for some sort of purchase; but it was no use. Cody moved his hands to push flat against Noel’s chest, still struggling to escape while also trying not to look into Noel’s red eyes. Lucifer was making it impossible, however, inching his face closer to Cody’s with every passing second.

“Did you kiss the little human yet?” Lucifer growled.

“Y-yes,” Cody answered. “What does it matter to you?”

“You belong to  _ me _ , Cody,” Lucifer chided. “Don’t you remember?”

“You  _ Threw  _ me,” Cody argued, “You made that decision all on your own. I  _ begged  _ for mercy, I  _ begged  _ to stay in Hell and continue serving you, and you Threw me!”

Lucifer stepped back, holding Cody against the wall with a hand on his chest. Cody was too scared and angry to move, anyway. 

“Listen well, little angel,” Not-Noel snarled, “You belong to me and you always will. I’m not about to let you off easily, and I’ll keep popping up like this to remind you. Stay with this mortal, fine. Hold his hand and kiss him  _ chastely.  _ You’ll be mine in the end.”

Cody narrowed his eyes. He’d been preparing himself, in his time off. He knew that The Prince of Darkness wouldn’t give up on him so easily. He was terrified, and adrenaline was rushing through his veins when Cody declared, “Oh, but Lucifer. You’ve given me so much power in this frail mortal vessel.  _ In the name of the Lord I rebuke thee to Hell, Satan.”  _

Noel’s body twisted and jerked. The hand holding Cody against the wall jerked back reflexively. Lucifer was hissing but Noel’s human mouth was closed and the red eyes had rolled back slightly, showing mostly whites. Cody would have found this terrifying if he hadn’t been expecting it. Lucifer’s voice whispered threateningly into his ear: “Don’t...you dare.”

“ _ In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, leave this body and return to Hell, Demon!” _

Noel jerked violently once more before crumpling forward; Cody threw his arms forward to catch him. “What the hell…”

“Noel, are you okay?” Cody asked, helping him balance against the counter. Noel blinked rapidly and shook out his arms, gently massaging the arm that had been restraining Cody.

“Did I just, like, black out?” Noel asked. Cody’s eyes met Noel’s, slightly reddened and full of worry. “I feel like I just hit the gym. Maybe I should call off work tomorrow.”

“Maybe,” Cody said, only replying to the second half of Noel’s statement and ignoring the question entirely. That wasn’t technically breaking the rules. “Would you mind if I stayed on the couch tonight, just in case?”

“Honestly, dude, I think we can spoon.”

“Forreal?” Cody smiled. Noel nodded. 

“Do you still want to eat?” Cody asked, gesturing to the pot of chicken alfredo resting on the stovetop. 

“Hell yeah. That shit smells so good. If you’re not careful, I’ll wife you up.”

“I’m the wife?”

“Oh hell yeah, dude, you’re for sure the wife.”

Rolling his eyes at Noel, Cody scooped two portions of chicken pasta into bowls and handed one to Noel with a nervous smile. “I hope you like it.”

“You know I will you coy little shit.” Noel grabbed a bowl of pasta with one hand and grabbed Cody’s hand with the other. No matter what kinds of threats Lucifer threw at him, Cody would withstand them. A mortal life with Noel was worth more than any crown of Hell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gimme those sweet, sweet reviews baybee.
> 
> Love always to the Short Kings.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Before either of them knew it, it was a week from Noel’s final graduation ceremony; moving him officially from his residency to becoming a licensed medical Doctor. Cody was planning a big surprise party at his apartment, which would top off their own special day together at their favorite lunch spot. It had been tough planning a party without the ability to lie or alter the truth, but somehow Cody had managed. He was proud of himself and more excited for Noel, who had worked so hard to get where he was and deserved every accolade in the world. Cody knew he would be an amazing doctor. 

They’d been together for a little over two months; going on dates, having nights in, and spending every moment of free time with each other. Noel’s friend group was decently small, with only a handful of nurses and some artists, but they accepted Cody with open arms and wide smiles. The fact that he and Noel played so well off of each other in conversation helped; there was no time to pause or let the atmosphere get awkward when Noel and Cody were around. They were the only guests coming to the party, and Cody had instructed each of them to bring a dish to pass, which they’d readily agreed to (since Cody would foot the bill for booze). 

“Hey baby!” Noel declared, entering his (now  _ their  _ really) apartment with a box of pizza. 

“Hey, hot stuff,” Cody beamed, pulling his glasses down his nose and rubbing his eyes clear. He’d been editing for two hours and hadn’t even bothered to pause for food. “How was work?”

“Pretty great, actually. They’ve lightened up my load this week in the ER and seem to be using me more as a friendly mascot. I think the hospital board is considering offering me a position, so they’re trying to make me recognizable to patients,” Noel said, setting the pizza down on the coffee table. Cody turned on the TV and navigated to Netflix. Noel threw his arm around the top of Cody’s shoulder and pulled the blonde against his side. He kissed Cody’s cheek, “But I had another offer, too.”

“What? Really? Two offers?” Cody asked, eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline. Noel had explained to him how difficult it could be to get a decent position at a clean, modern hospital as a newly minted Doctor. Especially in California. Even with Noel’s specialization in trauma surgery (Cody’s thin, nearly invisible pink scars could prove his talent) it could be difficult. 

“Yeah. Actually, they had first tried to contact me the day you showed up,” Noel nudged Cody. 

“Really? That’s kind of a cool coincidence.”

“It really is, man. Anyway, this chick offered me a position as a member of the Trauma Board at a hospital a little ways downstate.”

“Have you made up your mind about which position to take, yet?” Cody asked, turning to face Noel. Noel gave him a peck on the forehead. 

“Nope.”

“Alright. Pizza?”

“Have at it, sexy bitch,” Noel gestured at the pizza box. Cody opened it up and took a slice, handing another slice to Noel. “What are we watching?”

“I don’t know yet. What sounds good?”

“I don’t really want a movie,” Cody wrinkled his nose. “I don’t have the attention span for that tonight.”

“Alright, then, asshole. I’m gonna watch Peaky Blinders and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Ughhhhh.”

“Shut up and eat your pizza.”

Cody was warm and soft against Noel’s side, and Noel’s arm stayed locked around Cody for the rest of the night. Cody and Noel switched between Peaky Blinders and Love Island for a few hours before showering together and falling into bed, both exhausted from working all day. 

Noel liked to sleep with a tank top and briefs on, but Cody slept shirtless with baggy pajama bottoms. The collection he’d gathered from Goodwills and Old Navy was impressive. Noel liked the red ones covered in little pink hearts but Cody’s favorite was a black pair patterned with succulents. As they lay down and got the blankets adjusted, Cody sighed happily. “I love you,” Cody smiled. 

“I love you too,” Noel replied easily. He had been right, having another person in the apartment with him finally made it feel like home. Cody settled onto his side, ready for their nightly ritual. Noel began to trace the faint almost-V on Cody’s back with the tip of his pointer finger, over and over. He was gentle, mimicking all those times he’d applied medicine to these wounds. Now, healed and slightly raised against his fingers, Noel traced them until Cody’s breathing evened out and he fell asleep. Then Noel rolled Cody onto his back to stop any snoring and allowed himself to join his boyfriend in the comfort of sleep. 

Lucifer had come to bother Cody a few more times within a week of his possession of Noel, but then things had quieted down. None of his other appearances had been nearly as frightening, either. Once he just flicked Noel’s eyes from brown to red for a few minutes during a normal conversation. Cody hadn’t said anything out loud and he’d tried to ignore it until it went away; which seemed to work. The second time, he’d been making out with Noel when his face suddenly transformed into Lucifer. He’d recited the Lord’s Prayer with a fury and sent him running.

Between Cody’s ability to defend himself and Lucifer’s apparent boredom (or inattention due to another one of his pet projects taking up more time), Lucifer had seemingly forgotten Cody Ko for a moment. When the angel dropped into a dream, however, he knew that Lucifer was paying attention to him once again.

* * *

_ He was kneeling. His knees ached in that familiar way, as if he’d been here for a long time. The flickering of firelight against the shining black floors brightened the room, illuminating the throne. Lucifer was lounging across it, his legs over one arm and his torso leaning against the other; reclined almost too comfortably for the stony seat. When Cody made eye contact with him, the Devil grinned threateningly. “Silly angel, you thought you could run away,” Lucifer purred. _

_ Cody tried to respond, to use his one defense, but he couldn’t open his mouth. His eyes widened in panic as he tried repeatedly to say something, anything. Lucifer only smirked. Everything about the Devil exuded easy arrogance and overconfidence. “Look at yourself, Cody, you can’t escape this. You were born of Hell and so you shall live of Hell. If I see fit, you shall die of Hell.” _

_ Cody realized with a cold sense of dread that his hands were chained behind him. He didn’t currently have control of any of his limbs so the restraint didn’t really matter, but the physical weight of the metal manacles against his wrists sent his heartbeat racing into overdrive. Panic consumed him. “You can’t escape, little angel.” _

_ Cody suddenly regained his ability to move and he wriggled violently, yanking his shoulders forward in an effort to dislodge the manacles, but he only made things worse. With his tugging came the realization that he’d been chained  _ to the floor.  _ He couldn’t stand up, he couldn’t lean forward, all he could do was kneel before the throne of Hell and scream Noel's name until his throat was raw and burning.  _

* * *

He was still screaming when Noel shook him awake. “Cody, baby, you’re alright. I'm right here, I'm right next to you, hun.”

“Noel?” Cody gasped. He reached out into the darkness and found the warmth of Noel’s body, pulling himself against Noel’s chest. He fisted his hands into the material of Noel's Batman tank top. The doctor’s arms went around Cody immediately, squeezing gently to reassure him of his solid presence.

“Did you have a nightmare?” 

“Yes.”

“Was it a really bad one?”

“Yes.”

“Shh, honey, I’ve got you,” Noel whispered. Cody hadn’t had a nightmare in weeks, and he was worried that this signaled the beginning of a dip in Cody’s mental health. He’d been increasingly busy lately and it couldn’t have been very  healthy. Noel was used to being a busy body and moving constantly but Cody wasn’t, and the shift in lifestyles was clearly getting to him. “You know, babe, we should go on a vacation.”

“A what?”

“We could take a weekend sometime soon, while I'm between graduating and getting a permanent position, and go to Washington state or something. Or Colorado, even. I know you've been itching to get around more, and it would be cool to do some traveling. Maybe we could go to Canada and visit your hometown for a couple days, if you want.”

“Oh...yeah. I-I like seeing n-n-new things. That d-does sound n-nice.” 

Cody’s crying had calmed down and his breathing was returning to normal. He still stumbled a little in his response but his heartbeat had slowed its frantic pace. Noel wiped the tears from Cody’s cheeks and gave him a soft kiss. “Go back to sleep, okay? You need it.”

“Thank you, Noel."

“No biggie, dude. You know I love you, babe.”

“Love you, too.” 

They both fell asleep again, wrapped in each other’s warmth and breathing in the same rhythm. 

* * *

Noel had the following day off, so Cody decided to make him breakfast in bed. The angel was practically glowing. He didn’t know that mortal love could be this strong, this _consuming_. Cody probably could have run a thousand miles and generated enough energy to power a small town if someone had dangled Noel just in front of him. The two men revolved around each other like twin suns, feeding off each other’s happiness and excitement; always making each other laugh. When one of them had a bad day, which happened, they communicated to the other what was going wrong. They hadn’t fought with or yelled at each other, but they had experienced disagreements.

The biggest issue came up when Cody hadn’t wanted to get rid of his apartment. Noel thought it was silly that they spent almost every night together in his bed and yet Cody was still paying rent on another place. “I just don’t want you to feel trapped,” Cody had admitted. Once Noel understood Cody’s motives, which were providing them with an exit door if things went wrong or a separate space if they needed time apart, they had a rational conversation about all the pros and cons. Cody had kept the apartment and that was the end of it, both of them fully in support of the final decision. 

Cody entered the bedroom carrying a plate with waffles and sausage in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. “Good morning!” he declared. It was close to nine in the morning, which was sleeping _way late _for someone on Noel's odd schedule. Noel groaned and blinked open his eyes. Once they focused on Cody and what he was holding, Noel's face lit up.

“Oh shit, dude, you didn’t have to do that,” Noel said, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “But it’s awfully nice that you did.”

Cody allowed Noel to give him a brief peck on the lips as he took the plate. “You’re so fucking welcome, you sexy motherfucker.”

“That’s Doctor sexy motherfucker to you,” Noel laughed. 

“Not yet!”

“Bitch.”

That word had been muffled by a mouthful of waffle. Cody shook his head. “I’m going to run to the corner store, do you need anything?”

“Uh...not that I can think of.”

“Alright. I’ll grab you a snack anyway because every time I run over there for myself and don’t come back with some sort of treat for you, you pout for an hour.”

“I do not  _ pout.”  _

“Oh my god, you’re a liar and an asshole,” Cody sighed. They smiled at each other for a moment before Cody turned to rifle through the closet pseudo-organized. He had a pile of stuff that had slowly begun to grow since they’d officially started dating and from it he grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The shirt looked like one of Noel’s, which made it even more of a favorite. 

“I’m gonna go grab that stuff, then I’ll come back and clean up the kitchen,” Cody said, pulling his clothes on and fixing his hair quickly in the mirror. Noel nodded.

“Alright, dude. I love you, be safe.”

Cody beamed, heart absolutely filled to the brim with love and adoration. Surely, nothing could be better than this. And since he’d gotten into the habit of saying it and meaning it, Cody made the biggest mistake of his life. “I love you too, dude. I’ll come back safe, I promise.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gimme that validation, baybee! Did I piss you off with the ending? 
> 
> Love to the Short Kings.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Noel was washing the dishes when the world seemed to stop for a moment. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he felt a sudden sense of panic deep in his chest; like he’d suddenly forgotten something very important. Something felt  _ wrong... _ but Noel couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. His eyebrows drew together on instinct and he narrowed his eyes slightly with suspicion. He glanced around the apartment to make sure he wasn’t going crazy. There was his red umbrella painting, his couch, his crappy recliner, his TV...everything was good so far. On the other side of the room his desk was neatly organized. He ducked out of the kitchen and jogged over to the bathroom. Nothing in there. He moved to the bedroom, peeking in through the doorway. His best friend was perched on the edge of the bed, looking adorable as usual.  _ Oh, thank God. _ For a moment, Noel had been worried that his cat had run away.

* * *

Cody had been walking home from the corner store in the early morning light, a plastic bag clutched in his right hand. Luckily the tiny bodega had carried the right sized battery to replace the one in his novelty Hello Kitty alarm clock (a favorite Goodwill find of his because it made Noel cringe a little every time he looked at it). He’d gotten Noel one of those weird baby bottle shaped candies too;  _ Noel Miller absolutely does pout when he doesn’t get a treat.  _ What a simple way to get back at his boyfriend while also saying:  _ I was thinking of you, butthead _ . Noel wasn’t going to complain, either, since he loved sour candy. The angel was beaming wide enough to make the sun slightly jealous as he thought about Noel.

The signal at the crosswalk changed from STOP to WALK and with his lovestruck head in the clouds, Cody stepped into the street without looking both ways first. As he reached the halfway point between both sidewalks, a car came flying through the red light on the opposite side of the light. With nowhere to go, Cody did his best to leap to the side and avoid most of the impact. The car clipped him on the leg slightly, spinning him sideways and dumping him onto his ass on the pavement but otherwise leaving him unharmed. He was alive, just frightened and in slight pain. Cody screamed after the car, “Ah shit! Look where you’re-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Cody’s eyes caught on a group of men who hadn’t been standing in the middle of the crosswalk a moment ago. The tallest of them had large, thick black wings and narrowed red eyes pointed in Cody’s direction. He was holding something that glinted in the sunlight, but the angel scrambled to his feet and took off running in the opposite direction before he could identify it. He’d promised Noel to return home safely, but he couldn’t have counted on the car clipping his leg. He felt the very human pain of some kind of sprain flying up his ankle with each step but he couldn’t stop running. They’d catch him and drag him back to Lucifer. They’d take him away from Noel for his accidental lie. His reassurance to Noel about his safety had led to his downfall; how stupid and ironic. 

“Get back here, little runaway!” called a singsong male voice.

“You can’t escape from this, angel. You made a deal!” this was more aggressive and threatening. 

The voices weren’t getting any further away. Cody knew if he stopped running to look for the location of his attackers he’d be finished, so he kept pushing forward. His sedentary lifestyle with Noel for the last month wasn’t really helping, either. His lungs burned for more oxygen than he could give them and his legs were aching from overuse only three blocks away from where his mad dash had begun. He was almost to the corner of Noel’s apartment building when the net hit him from behind and knocked him flat on his stomach. What little air he’d gotten in the last gasp rushed from his body as Cody hit the ground. “Fuck!” 

“Come along, little angel,” the big one taunted, yanking Cody roughly from the confines of the net and hauling him to his feet. “We get to take you home and Lucifer only said no  _ permanent  _ damage.”

Cody struggled and screamed but nobody noticed him. He tried to reach out for a woman but his hand passed through her, immaterial already. He was sure the group was masked from mortal eyes, and it plummeted his heart further into his stomach.  _ He had been so close to reaching Noel!  _ One of the big one’s assistants jerked Cody’s hands behind his back and roughly manacled them together. The chain between them was short and forced Cody’s shoulders back slightly. His recent nightmare hit the backs of his eyelids in vivid detail, suddenly making all the sense in the world. It had been a warning, a premonition. The world crashed down around the angel like a wall of black water. In an instant Cody was drowning. He couldn’t breathe. He collapsed to the ground, eyes open but unseeing. There was no more will to fight left in him. 

Cody had made a deal with the Devil and unsurprisingly, Cody had lost. There was nothing the angel could do now except allow himself to be dragged back to Hell and presented to Lucifer like some bastardization of a gift. 

* * *

Noel graduated. 

He had been waffling between the downstate offer and the LA contract when the Santa Barbara offer had arrived (to his surprise) in the mail. The deep burgundy print of the letter read:

_ Dear Dr. Miller, _

_ We at the Santa Barbara Oceanview Hospital received a copy of your transcript and job history from [name redacted] and have found it highly impressive. The hospital trauma and staffing boards are interested in arranging an interview with you if you are willing, as a position in our emergency trauma department has recently become available. Please fill out the enclosed application and return it before November 21st, 2019.  _

_ Looking forward to hearing from you. We appreciate bright young doctors who excel in their field. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Dr. Patrick Emmanuel  _

_ Head of Surgical Staff _

_ Santa Barbara Oceanview Hospital _

For some instinctual reason that Noel would only recognize later as  _ fate,  _ the excited young doctor jumped at the Santa Barbara job immediately. His filled application and an additional copy of his resume were mailed out the following day. His video interview was scheduled within a week. By the end of the month, Noel had been invited to meet with Oceanview’s housing office in order to find him a decent living situation nearby. It was more than a recent graduate could have hoped for and Noel thanked whatever was looking out for him and helping him along. 

The hospital’s real estate agent found him a little 2-bedroom ranch house in a neighborhood only three miles from the ocean and only one short bus ride to the hospital. Sure, almost every room needed a new paint job and some minor repairs; but it was a gorgeous, sturdy little brick house with  _ Noel Miller  _ written all over it. He had a week between moving in and his first official training shift at Oceanview to get the house in working order, which he expected to be plenty of time. Painting wasn’t a hard job, just a long one, and he had the patience to paint a house after 8 years in medical school and 3 years in residency. Maybe hiring some people to do the minor repairs could introduce him to hotties in the area. Noel laughed at himself; life was  _ too  _ good.

“I appreciate this so much,” Noel told the real estate agent, surprising the tiny redheaded woman as he teared up. “I just never thought I’d be able to do all of this.”

“Well, congratulations, Dr. Miller,” she replied. “Now, I’ll get these documents processed and you’ll be free to move in by next week.”

“Thank you so much. That gives me just enough time to handle everything in LA and get packed up. I owe you some cookies or something.”

“That’s quite alright, Dr. Miller, this is my job.”

“But you did a  _ good  _ job, and I appreciate that. Is there anyone I should tell about your excellent work?”

“Just the hospital, Dr. Miller,” she answered. And that had been the end of it. 

Noel went back to LA, packed up his apartment and his trusty cat, Alfred, and headed for sunny Santa Barbara.

* * *

“Milord?” Aleister Crowley questioned, entering the throne room where Lucifer sat lounging. Some lesser demons were putting on a rather dull performance and Lucifer was watching half-heartedly. The Devil glanced up, eyes dull with boredom.

“Ally,” Lucifer drawled. “What can I help you with?”

“I just wondered what was wrong, lately,” the corporeal soul replied, “You’ve seemed bored and depressed the last few days. Apathetic, even.”

“Oh, Ally, it’s the worst thing in the world. I can’t believe it happened at all, but I did it.”

“Did what?”

Lucifer gestured uncaringly with his hand, drawing Aleister’s attention to something he hadn’t noticed before. Standing to Lucifer’s right, perfectly still and holding a tray containing one of the Devil’s favorite wine goblets, was Cody. His eyes were straightforward and his face was expressionless. The almost-man looked down at the Devil with shock written across his own face, “How?”

“I’m not really sure. He just kind of...showing up like this.”

“Did you expect more of a struggle?” Aleister asked. Lucifer sighed heavily.

“I had hoped for a grand entrance,” he pouted, “Something to really show Cody that he had  _ lost,  _ you know?”

Aleister nodded understandingly and waited for the Devil to continue. “I had this whole speech written out; I practiced. I was going to do that cool, intimidating thing where I grab his hair and make him look me in the eyes while I say some mean things about that shitty human boyfriend of his. I was going to chain him to the floor and maybe get a little  _ kinky  _ about it _ . _ ”

“Didn’t you have that nice cell built, too?”

“Oh don’t get me started on the cell,” Lucifer groaned, sinking back against the throne and snapping his fingers. Cody lowered the tray with the goblet, and Lucifer took a sip from it. Aleister couldn’t see the light behind Cody’s eyes anymore and was amazed with how easily the little angel had given up. 

“Still no wings?” Aleister asked, noting Cody’s lack of plumage. 

“I want him awake for that,” Lucifer smirked. “As much pain as he’s in right now, I have inflicted worse. He will wake up, Ally, and when he does, I will be waiting with my monologue and my hellhounds and my thirst for revenge.”

“Sounds about right, Milord,” Aleister smiled. He wasn’t sure the obsession was healthy, but Lucifer was...well he was  _ The Devil,  _ and Aleister didn’t want to get on his bad side. “Shall I depart?”

“Oh god yes, and take me with you.”

Lucifer stood, gesturing for Cody to follow him, and left the dancing demons to perform for an empty throne.

* * *

“Kels, your assignment is nonsense,” a girl sighed, resting her hand on her cheek. “Absolute bullshit.” 

“I know but there’s really nothing I can do about it other than help the Miller boy with the rest of his life,” a dark-haired woman replied, her hands deftly moving the parts of a giant loom. “I cannot interfere too much.”

“Can’t we drop him a hint? Just a little idea of  _ something  _ to get things moving in his direction again? I know we can get them back together.”

“Don’t Tempt me, Leena, I’m a force of good and so are you.”

“I’m not trying to Tempt you, Kels, I’m trying to make a suggestion.” 

“I get it, okay? Fine. I’ll drop him one little hint. But if he doesn’t get it, if this doesn’t jog his memory the way I’m hoping it will, it’s out of our hands.”

“Can I send him a dream?”

“My god, Leena,  _ yes,  _ but just...make it quick, okay? I don’t want to be accused of interfering or tampering with free will.”

“You’re a fucking  _ Fate  _ Kels,” the other girl laughed, skipping from the room. Kels rolled her eyes and returned to her weaving.

* * *

_ Noel standing next to his old apartment building, first aid kit in hand. The shed was there. That shed… _

_ There was a blonde man standing in the middle of the yard with large, black feathered wings. The wings were wrapped around him, so Noel could only really see the top of his head. “Cody?” _

_ “Noel!” _

_ An arm reached up and over the confines of the wings, searching for Noel. The doctor ran forward, desperately grasping at it. The wings pulled tighter against the man’s body. “Noel, help me!” _

_ “Cody!” _

Noel woke up in a cold sweat, a pair of hazel eyes just at the edge of his consciousness. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gimme that sweet validation in the comment section. We're getting to the good shit now, kids!
> 
> Do we want this to get sexy? Please let me know if you want this to get sexy or nah.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Noel was giddy with the process of painting _ his  _ new house. He was delighted with finally getting to design his own space and make each space fit around his tastes. First he decided to go for a pale blue bathroom to remind him of his apartment in LA. It was a minor detail, but it felt like  _ home  _ more than anything else _ .  _ Luckily the previous owners had replaced the fixtured in the bathroom within the last five years, so he wouldn’t have to remodel anything for awhile.  _ I do not want to deal with plumbing,  _ he’d admitted. 

In the living-room he chose a professional off-white color; which went beautifully with his new grey leather sectional and black TV stand. On the far left wall he hung his favorite red umbrella portrait. He could absolutely host parties here and invite people from work. He could have the head of his department over for dinner and sit on the sofa with wine after; what a rush to finally feel slightly adult. The kitchen he’d done in the same off-white, but for the dining room (a real actual dining room separate from the kitchen and living room) he’d done a light grey. The natural light from windows on two sides made the dining room one of his favorite in the house. He’d gone to IKEA for modern-looking black dining table and matching chairs and when it had all been assembled, it looked amazing. Watching things fall into place made Noel feel like he’d finally accomplished something, even though he knew that his hard work up to this point was equally as important. 

He’d only moved to the back half of the house once the living room, kitchen, and dining room were completed. It didn’t feel right to leave them painted and empty; plus he’d need to sleep on the couch while he worked on the bedrooms. He started by planning from the ground up. The whole house had beautiful pinewood flooring, so for the master bedroom Noel had chosen a beautiful shade of elegant navy blue for the walls. He’d purchased coordinating bedding and a lovely wooden bed frame that complimented the baseboards and flooring. He painted the closet doors the same off-white as the kitchen to tie everything together. The shades of blue and white reminded Noel of the ocean; the color of deep water made him feel oddly peaceful. Truly he was living his best life now.

It was mid-afternoon the first time it happened. He’d been jamming to a Spotify playlist called “All the 2000’s Bops From Homecoming” and loving it the whole time. His sick moves could not be stopped and neither could his mad ho energy. 

“Shawty got them apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur!” he sang, pouring the well-mixed paint into one of the flat pans. “The whole club was lookin’ at her!” 

“Hey, Noel,” a voice called from the entryway, shouting to be heard over the music. 

Noel paused the song and left the bedroom. He jogged down the hall to find his next door neighbor, Max, peeking in through the main doorway. Noel grimaced apologetically, assuming the reason for his neighbor’s reason. “Sorry, is my music too loud?” 

“Oh, no,” Max laughed, pulling his curly blonde hair back from his eyes and pulling a baseball cap down to cover it. “I just wondered if you needed any help?” 

Max had been welcoming when Noel first moved his stuff in a couple days ago and had even offered to help move boxes; now the doctor understood that it had been flirtation. As his new neighbor stood in the doorway, one hand in his board shorts’ pocket and the other propping him against the doorframe, Noel realized he didn’t really mind. The built surfer dude was a little on the tall side for Noel’s tastes, but he could try it out; especially for a guy with such a solid looking ass. From the look of Max’s calves and arms, he also swam. The doctor was not displeased.

“You’re welcome to join if you want to but I don’t know that you’ll want to get those clothes dirty.”

“I came prepared. This stuff is what I always paint in,” Max shrugged. When he focused his eyes on Max’s shirt, Noel could see the small colorful marks near the hem of the grey material where Max apparently wiped his brushes. 

“Do you do a lot of art, then?” he asked, gesturing to the brush strokes. 

“Here and there, nothing serious. I don’t do shows or sell any of it, if that’s what you mean. Most of the time I use it as back up presents for forgotten birthdays or special occasions.” The sheepish tone of his last admission had Noel’s mouth pulling up in the corners. 

“It’s really cool that you’re creative enough to take an idea and make a picture out of it. My hobby can get me booed off the stage,” Noel replied. 

“Comedian or performance artist? Please say comedian,” Max joked. Noel laughed and struck an odd, comedic pose. He rolled his head on his neck like he was in the exorcist and made direct eye contact with Max as dramatically as possible. 

“Performance artist, bitch. I pretend to be heterosexual for pocket change at the park on weekends.”

“You  _ are  _ funny,” Max laughed, clutching at his chest. He came inside and closed the door behind him as politely as possible. The young doctor led his guest down the hallway and showed him into the master bedroom. He turned the radio back on, quieter this time, and handed Max a paint roller. 

“Load up, dipshit.”

Max smiled good naturedly and doused the roller in paint. They worked and chatted for awhile, finding a good flow of topics to discuss and debate. Sometimes they’d sing along to songs on the radio and take dance breaks. Something about Max felt  _ familiar  _ but Noel wasn’t sure how or why. The glint of the sun on his hair was...almost painful. It tugged at something deep in him that Noel couldn’t pinpoint but also couldn’t shake off. There was an unidentified source of nostalgia stirring deep in Noel’s chest the more he watched Max paint and laugh and sing. 

There was something... _ missing.  _ Something  _ absent.  _ Something had been  _ taken. _

“Hey, are you okay?” Max asked, shaking his shoulder slightly. Noel’s eyes focused on Max’s blue ones and something immediately snapped into place, correcting Noel's observations about Max _ . Wrong eyes. Wrong height. Wrong hair. Wrong laugh.  _ Especially the laugh.

Far away, Kels was pulling her tapestry tighter, drawing the strings together and weaving an image so beautiful that not even Heaven could ignore it anymore. She pulled one final thread into place and wove:  _ Here’s your hint, mortal. Figure it out.  _

With a small suggestion from the universe, Spotify rotated. A very familiar beat vibrated outward from the speakers.  ** _“_ _Baby, can't you see I'm calling? A guy like you should wear a warning. It's dangerous, I'm falling.”_ **

Max disappeared, along with the rest of the house.

_Noel was sitting on a mildly uncomfortable stool at a bar. The room was long and the swaying pattern of lights against the far wall indicated that there was also a dance floor somewhere in that direction. _

_He heard himself say, “Long Island Iced Tea.” _

_He watched a semi-familiar bartender walk away. He heard a laugh from next to him but he couldn’t see any face. The mystery guy was slightly shorter than himself, but only barely. He had dirty blonde hair, wide shoulders, strong arms...and no face. No face! Why couldn’t Noel see his face or remember a name? He heard the laugh, he felt the calloused fingertips against his arm as the man reached for his hand. _

“Noel?” That was Max’s voice again; interrupting, annoying. More importantly there was the song playing Noel’s memories back to him word by word. 

**“_With the taste of your lips, I'm on a ride. You're toxic, I'm slippin' under. With a taste of a poison paradise.” _**

_ The faceless man was pulling him through the crowd. Pulling him close. Pulling Noel against him and...and... _

_ **“I’m addicted to you, don’t you know that you’re toxic?”** _

Overwhelmed by the memory and unable to do much else, Noel burst into tears. “Jesus, Noel, what the fuck?” Max asked, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“What? Oh, God,” Noel tried to even out his breathing as he made eye contact with a startled, almost scared-looking Max, whose hand slipped from his shoulder slowly as he went on. “Sorry. There is no orthodox way to explain what just happened, but think of it like a mini panic attack?”

“Do you have those a lot?” 

“Generally no,” Noel shrugged, “But occasionally. I didn’t think it would happen right in front of you like this, so my apologies for that outburst, but I do think I’m done painting for now; probably for the day.”

“Sounds good, man,” Max smiled. He was socially aware enough of people with mental illnesses to respect Noel’s space, even if his quick recovery from said outburst made it seem a little  _ off.  _ “See you around?”

“Yeah, dude, I’ll hit you up,” Noel smiled. 

Max left and Noel continued painting, lost in his thoughts.

The stranger in his flashback was now smiling at the forefront of his mind, dazzling Noel in the best of ways. He didn’t know what had happened to make him forget the man he’d grown to love all but completely. He didn’t know about Cody’s past completely, but he understood that something had taken Cody away from him. When he found whoever or  _ what _ ever had ruined his love life, they were going to have  _ hell  _ to pay. “I’ll find you, Cody,” Noel promised the otherwise empty room. “And when I do, I’ll bring you home.”

_ **"I took a sip from my devil's cup. Slowly, it's taking over me."** _

* * *

“That’s cheating!” Lucifer cried, slamming his fists against the arms of the throne. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the demon who’d been the unfortunate bearer of bad news. “How dare those stupid, silly, airheaded Fates cheat me at my own game!”

“I don’t know if it counts as cheating,” Aleister shrugged, interrupting the Devil and allowing the small messenger demon to skitter to safety. “They have their own tapestry to weave and they have narrative freedom within reason. There’s nothing to do about it, really.”

“This is absolute nonsense!”

“Yes, but it’s not  _ cheating.  _ Not technically, anyway. They have their own laws...up there. _ ”  _

“Fucking infuriating is what it is, if it’s not cheating,” Lucifer groaned. Cody was grinning, he couldn’t believe it. 

“Did he remember me? Really?” Aleister and Lucifer’s heads both snapped to face Cody, whose eyes were wide and frantically flying between the two of them. “Is that what the demon said? That Noel remembered me?”

“Oh, poor Cody,” Lucifer laughed, stepping threateningly towards the angel. Cody’s back stiffened but, to his credit, he didn’t move away from the approaching demon. “First, welcome back to the world, darling. You’ve been so quiet this past month, I thought you were a corpse rather than an angel. Second, my sweet, silly angel... _ Noel cannot have you back.  _ You failed your half of the agreement and no  _ interruption  _ from the Fates can take you from my presence. Not to mention, my pretty angel, that Noel has no way of finding you.”

Cody’s hopeful expression dropped. Lucifer loved the feeling that came with with the angel’s utter defeat. “Why won’t you just send me to the pits of Hell already?” the angel finally asked. 

“Ah, but my darling, you have just returned,” Lucifer smiled, running his hand softly down the side of Cody’s face. “It would be a shame for you to leave again so soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might end up being more than 16 chapters, honestly. Hope you enjoy this one!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I accidentally made Spock into Jesus.

Noel was pacing back and forth in front of the dark dining room windows, three days after Britney Spears had given his memories of Cody back. The third wall of the dining room was covered in a rainbow of post-it notes containing potential clues to Cody’s whereabouts; but none of them were very helpful so far. He’d called the bar they’d visited, Cody’s favorite burger joint, the taco truck, and the cafe but nobody seemed to remember the blonde boy at all and none of them had seen him recently. 

He didn’t know where to start when it came to solving his boyfriend’s mysterious disappearance. Noel remembered Cody leaving for the corner store but not getting back home; had something happened to him between the store and the apartment that jogged his memories? Even _ if _ Cody had suddenly remembered his entire past, that probably wouldn’t have kept him away for a _ month. _He would have come back to the apartment, explained things to Noel, and probably (knowing Cody) cried like a baby. 

Noel racked his brain for any hint or clue._ What if Cody is lost in LA, you prick?_ _What if he’s fucking homeless right now? What if he lost his memories again and you’re not there to take care of him? _Noel didn’t even want to think about his poor, sweet, dumbass boyfriend finally getting back to the apartment only to find that Noel had moved out. _I didn’t even leave a forwarding address, Jesus. _

However, the “sudden memory recovery” theory didn’t explain the sudden disappearance of Cody’s belongings or Noel completely forgetting him. Or Alfred. Noel’s favorite yellow shirt, which he _ knew _ Cody had worn to his fateful corner store visit, had magically appeared back in his closet. Noel had hunted high and low for anything that could have once been his boyfriend’s. Even the familiar, comforting scent of Cody’s shitty fuckboy cologne was gone from Noel’s favorite couch blanket; the one Cody had slept with the first week of his convalescence. Noel’s old red shirt that Cody had accidentally bled through on his first day in the apartment was also suddenly devoid of any stains; which had _ not _ come out in the laundry either time they’d washed it. Cody had even offered to buy him a replacement as an apology. _ Fuck. How could this happen? We were so happy, so in synch with each other, desperately close to falling head-over-heels in love. How in the Hell did I forget a whole-ass person? Especially Cody?! _

“Hell is exactly how you forgot a whole-ass person,” Noel’s furious pacing was interrupted by a sing-song female voice. The doctor whipped around to find an unfamiliar young woman standing in his kitchen. 

“Excuse me? How the fuck did you get into my house?” he asked, taking (what he hoped) was an assertive step towards her. He really didn’t want to hit a girl but breaking and entering was just _ not cool, dude. _

“My bad,” the girl smiled, holding her hands up, palms facing Noel in a gesture of peace. “You’re Dr. Noel Miller, right?”

“Yeah…”

“You’re looking for Cody, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well then I’m here to help,” she beamed. Both of them relaxed their guarded positions and Noel took a seat at his kitchen table, gesturing for the strange girl to take a seat across from him. She had to know _ something _if she knew both their names already and he was really too tired to give a fuck if she decided to murder him or something. While waiting for her to explain her sudden (and oddly silent) entry, Noel took a moment to observe her. The young woman was probably around his age and had short dark hair, frighteningly blue eyes, and pale skin. She was wearing what appeared to be a toga, but Noel wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating yet or not. Since she wasn’t offering up any details, Noel decided to start the conversation.

“So, how can you help me find Cody?” he asked. 

“Listen, I can’t tell you _ exactly _ where Cody is being held or how to get there, _ but _ I can offer you some helpful details,” she began, “Since I work for the Big Man upstairs, I cannot meddle with your free will _ and _since Cody technically made a deal, his imprisonment is completely legal.”

“Hold on, hold on,” Noel stopped her. “Big Man upstairs? Imprisonment?”

“Yup! Keep up, dipshit,” she smiled. “Anyway, I can’t give away too much because the laws of Heaven, Hell, and the Fates bind me to my role and that role is relatively non-invasive. Honestly, visiting you right now could have gotten me written up if the Big Man wasn’t so invested in you two falling in love or whatever.”

“Are you telling me that _ God _sent you here to help me find a dumbass blonde amnesiac?”

The girl, whoever she was, changed the conversation slightly, veering away from answering his question by asking one of her own: “Didn’t you ever wonder how Cody got those strange injuries in the first place?”

“I mean yeah, of course, but I never really asked too much and he didn’t offer up any details. I always assumed it was because he didn’t remember.”

“This is information that I’m actually allowed to give you, so listen the fuck up.”

“I sure am.”

“Good. Cody was Thrown from Hell the day you found him. That little earthquake you felt was his body breaking through the veil between Hell and Earth. Those wounds were from Lucifer ripping Cody’s wings off before discarding the rest of him. He was in unimaginable physical and emotional pain when you helped him and offered him a place to stay.”

Noel almost threw up in his mouth. _ This cannot be fucking happening. _

“It sure fuckin’ is,” the girl continued, clearly able to dip into his thoughts when she felt like it. “Anyway, since you took care of Cody and eventually fell in love with him, your strings became...tangled.”

“Strings?” 

“Have you ever heard of the red thread of fate?” the girl asked, quirking an eyebrow. Noel nodded.

“Yeah. It ties soulmates together, right?”

“Something along those lines. What I work with isn’t _ exactly _the red thread, but it’s something similar. Disney’s ‘Hercules’ movie got a lot wrong, but the strings of life part is relatively accurate. See, Cody wasn’t initially a mortal, so his string isn’t as easily broken as some others. No matter what Lucifer does, be it erasing your memories of Cody or replacing him with a cat,” she rolled her eyes towards Alfred and back to Noel’s again, “Cody’s thread is tangled with yours. It cannot be undone. Lucifer has tried to undo it, I’ve tried to undo it, The Big Man has tried to undo it...but it’s stuck. My loom won’t even work until we get this sorted out and it’s caused a major ruckus.”

“That was a lot of information that I can’t even begin to understand, but regardless of all of it, how does this help me get Cody back?”

“I’m telling you now, Noel Miller, that you have to challenge the Devil to a competition and win if you ever want to see Cody returned to you again. Cody made an agreement with Lucifer to stay human and be with you. He broke his end of the bargain accidentally and was dragged back to Hell by Lucifer’s cronies. So trust me, everyone except Lucifer wants to see you two back together and here on Earth.”

“Fuck me.”

“You’re not my type.”

“Funny. Could you _ please _just tell me how to go about challenging the Devil to a fight fair enough that I even stand a chance of winning my boyfriend back?”

“Like I said, I can’t help too much with this one, dude, but now that you’ve got all the info you need, I’ve gotta peace out. The Big man doesn’t like us to wander around the Mortal world for too long. We get distracted.”

“It was nice meeting you, uh…”

“Just call me Kels,” she smiled. 

“Thanks, Kels.”

“Good luck!” 

And then Noel was sitting, shocked and a little frightened, alone at his dinner table. 

* * *

“How did it go, dude?”

“Very well,” Kels replied, curtsying slightly. The Big man rolled his eyes at her formality. 

“What do you think he’s going to do?”

The Big Man adjusted his glasses on his nose and swept his long brown hair back over his shoulder. He patted the spot next to him and Kelsey took a seat. It wasn’t like she could go back to weaving until Noel fixed the problem with her loom, anyway. The Big Man flipped on his TV and turned to Hell, watching Noel enter Lucifer's throne room with enough swagger to make Shakespeare's ghost jealous.

“I can’t quite say, but I think this will be the most entertaining thing we’ve seen since that dude from Georgia questioned Lucifer’s fiddle skills.”

“I think you might be right.”

* * *

Lucifer had tried his damndest to remove the knot twining his precious Cody’s string together with that filthy mortal’s. It was no use. They were practically fused; it was infuriating. 

Originally he’d needed Cody back for a very specific mission to Tempt a wealthy European heir into Sinning. Cody’s success would have effectively given Lucifer control of a very prominent mortal family; he could have Tempted so many people through them. When Cody had been too good at telling the truth, however, the Devil had been forced to send another of his angels instead. It worked, sure, and Lucifer had been pleased with the demon’s efficiency, but it was a mediocre performance at best. Cody could have done better. Cody would have Tempted the young man more artfully; would have made it more fun to watch, would have made it slow and sexy and entertaining. 

So sure, he had Cody back and the mission was accomplished, but Lucifer was still full of frustration. The work done by the lesser demon had been so...unfulfilling. Lucifer had been taking out his anger on Cody for the past few days, basking in the angel’s highly emotional responses. Lucifer fed on negativity and Cody’s broken heart and fading spirit radiated nothing _ but _despair. If there was a Heaven in Hell, this was it for the Devil.

Until.

“Milord, you’ve been, uhm, challenged.”

“Pardon?” Lucifer asked, whirling dramatically to glare down at the angel who’d brought him the news. He’d taken a break from taunting the blonde angel to lounge in the throne room and damn some mortals for their various sins. 

“A mortal man has issued a challenge, Milord.”

The angel stepped aside, revealing none other than the accursed Noel Miller standing defiantly at the bottom of the short stone staircase. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his eyes were narrowed, full of such pure hatred that even the Devil was impressed. 

* * *

The books on witchcraft at the public library had been oddly helpful and with Kelsey’s advice, Noel had figured out exactly how to get to Hell and challenge Lucifer in the fairest way possible. Sure, he was a little uncomfortable with all the heat down here (up here? over here? wherever Hell was), but he was Californian. He'd adjust.

Now there was only one thing on Noel’s mind: getting Cody back safe and sound. 

The Devil smirked, resuming his seat on the onyx throne. “Hello, young Dr. Miller.”

Noel’s eyes were still scanning the room when Lucifer addressed him, clearly looking for any sign of Cody. He wasn’t interested in the Devil just yet, not until he knew his boyfriend was safe; or at least here. Finally, having exhausted his search, Noel replied smoothly. “Satan.”

“Ah, that’s not quite my name. I’m Lucifer,” the Devil corrected. “Satan is my idiot cousin.”

“What the fuck ever, dude,” Noel rolled his eyes. “I came here for Cody, so where is he?”

“You can’t just _ have _him,” Lucifer laughed mockingly, “You said you have a challenge?”

“Yeah, and I’ll issue that challenge, you big fork-tailed dumbass, _ when _I see that Cody is here and safe.”

“You have quite the mouth on you.”

“Are you fucking stupid or what? Where's Cody?”

Noel thought he’d have to _ act _ brave in front of the literal Devil but he had realized, upon entering the throne room of Hell, that Lucifer was really just another rude businessman with too much power. Demon or not, no matter how much sass or threatening Lucifer did, Noel understood that his love for Cody overrode any fear of his opponent. He’d been to business lunches with men who frightened him more than Lucifer's flamboyant ass. 

“Alright, little mortal, I’ll bring him out.” 

Lucifer snapped his fingers twice, both unusually sharp sounds to Noel’s ears, and four or five large demons exited the room. A few moments later they returned, half-dragging and half-carrying Cody’s limp form. The fallen angel was wearing a short black toga, much like the Kels girl had been wearing when she appeared in Noel's dining room.

“What the _ fuck _did you do to him?” Noel demanded. Upon hearing Noel’s voice, Cody’s head snapped up. He fumbled for control of his limbs, doing his best to pull away from his captors with what little energy he had. His arms were still heavy with the manacles that locked his wrists together behind him. Noel noticed the bags under Cody's eyes and the bruises on his arms. 

Lucifer had been unrelenting in his torture, taunting Cody with images of Noel’s potential deaths over and over. He was so sure that the Devil had taken mortality into his own hands, against the laws of the Universe, to destroy Noel as repayment for Cody’s disloyalty. Seeing him alive was almost too much.

“Y-you found me,” Cody said. His voice was scratchy from crying and screaming, which concerned the young doctor to no end. 

“I’ll always find you.”

Lucifer interrupted, tired of their happiness brightening the room. “So, human, what’s your challenge?”

“Alright, Lucifer. I’m challenging you to a joke-telling competition in front of a neutral mortal audience. Each of us does a short stand-up set, no less than five minutes and no longer than seven. Whoever can get the crowd to laugh the loudest, measured in human decibels, wins. If I win, I want Cody returned to Earth with me, healed of all physical injuries, and with no chance of him disappearing on me again. You have to promise us both full, normal lives without any early accidental deaths. Do you agree to my terms?”

Lucifer considered for a moment. He was sassy and funny, what wouldn’t the humans like about him? This had the potential for an easy win. He grinned down at Noel, whose arms were still crossed and whose eyes were still narrowed. “I accept.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? Are you excited? I'm probably going to have to add another chapter or do a separate one-shot follow up for this bad boy. 
> 
> Anyone interested in another AU once this one is over? I have an idea but idk if ya'll want to see my face around here anymore.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter, kiddos!

The night of the challenge arrived too slowly for Noel to bear. He had come to the shitty comedy bar prepared. He brought some of his best material and began to organize it into a decently flowing set of jokes as he watched the crowd trickling in through the door. From the line that was forming near the “Place Orders Here” sign at the bar it looked like mostly college students had responded to his posters around town; although the venue was sprinkled with a few middle aged couples (who were generally not dressed age appropriately). He could totally work with this. 

Lucifer was looking equally confident from the opposite wing of the stage but Noel wasn’t about to let that put a damper on his own determination. If he went out there and performed with the highest energy possible there was no way he’d be leaving the building without Cody. He was funny, charismatic, and (unbeknownst to the Devil) he’d performed here before. He knew the tone of the bar, he knew the kind of humor college kids enjoyed, and he knew that the owner was a fan of dick jokes.  _ How did I get into this whole situation in the first place? One day I’m doing my duty as a doctor in training and now I’m doing competitive comedy to rescue my boyfriend from the literal Prince of Darkness. Fuck me.  _

Lucifer had allowed Cody to attend but had hidden him from all human eyes but Noel’s. The frightened blonde angel was sitting at a table in the front row, situated between two burly demons. Each of them kept a firm hand on either of the angel’s shoulders, preventing him from leaving the chair or moving too much. According to Lucifer’s short explanation to Noel earlier, everyone else at the bar saw a happy young college student and his two friends rather than a frightened angel and two enormous, silent demons. The Devil had referred to the visual trick as a  _ glamour,  _ whatever the hell that meant. 

Noel also recognized Kels, sitting in the far left corner in a shadowy booth. She was sipping on a neon pink mixed drink of some kind and kept throwing encouraging glances in Noel’s direction. Seated next to her was a strange young man with long brown hair and hipster glasses. Lucifer hadn’t noticed them or, if he had, he hadn’t mentioned their presence to Noel.  _ Maybe they’d disguised themselves the same way Lucifer had disguised Cody and the demons. Am I the only one who can see Kels? _

“You ready, man?” the emcee asked, interrupting his train of thought. Noel snapped out of the reverie and nodded his affirmation. The tall brunette man stepped onto the stage to begin the show and make introductions. He lifted the bedazzled pink microphone up to his mouth, eliciting a giggle from some college girls nearby. “Hello everybody! Welcome to the Friday Free Stage! We’ve got a comedy battle booked here tonight between two pretty funny dudes. On the right side of the stage, please put your chuckles together for  _ Noellll Millerrrrr! _ ” 

Noel stepped onto the stage, lifted the hem of his long-sleeved shirt, and curtsied. That small act of physical humor got a decent amount of laughter from the audience and Noel knew in that instant he could absolutely pull this off and win Cody back. The emcee continued, waving his arm to the left wing and bellowing: “And to my left we have his opponent, the equally funny  _ Lucasssss Morningstarrrrr! _ ”

_ Nice last name choice,  _ Noel smirked.  _ Totally didn’t steal that from the TV show they named after you. If that’s as creative as the Devil can get this really isn’t a fair fight.  _ Noel saw Kels snort some of her drink from the corner of his eye and knew she must have been listening to his thoughts again. The man next to her looked equally amused as he nibbled on a bag of Doritos.  _ How did he sneak Doritos in here? _

As the emcee introduced him, Lucifer came out waving. There were no laughs from the audience for this entrance, but a few polite golf claps were heard from the darkened lounge area. Noel was already winning by his own calculations but he wasn’t about to get cocky with Cody’s life on the line. “Alright, citizens of Santa Barbara, tonight’s rules are simple. Whoever gets the loudest laughs wins! Each gentleman will present a set under seven minutes, anything longer than that will result in disqualification and an automatic loss. Doesn’t matter if it’s two seconds or two minutes; too long is too long. Adult content is absolutely allowed and generally encouraged by both myself and management. Drink specials are available on your table menus, folks, so feel free to check those out as well. Alright, that’s everything I was instructed to say. See you boys when the dust settles. Starting us off tonight is  _ Noooooel!” _

The emcee finished his speal and bowed to the audience. He exited left, taking Lucifer with him into the wings to watch Noel’s set. The doctor patted the front and back pockets of his tight black jeans and ran his hands down the front of his shirt like he was searching for something. He turned in a quick circle, looking down at the ground and then up into the rafters with squinted eyes. Noel stopped suddenly, raising his eyebrows and holding up a finger to alert the audience that he’d figured out his problem. He reached backstage and grabbed his microphone from the theatre employee, who was already grinning.  _ That’s a good fuckin’ sign.  _ Noel tapped the plain black mic twice, nodded in affirmation when two dull  _ thuds  _ echoed through the otherwise silent room, and spoke his first punchline: “Honest to God, if I didn’t superglue my dick to my leg every morning I would have forgotten it somewhere stupid years ago.”

That got a good laugh and started him off strong. His set went exactly to plan, getting rousing laughs from the audience and one laugh so loud that he was sure he had the record. A decently sized television screen mounted to the wall of the club above the bar gave a live reading of the room’s decibel level and the microphone used to measure it was mounted just beneath. Noel was hitting some  _ very  _ nice numbers by the time he wound down his set into the final sequence of jokes. His final joke set the record for the evening: “Don’t go to church with a white girl’s family. That’s basically the same as proposing and they  _ can  _ and  _ will  _ hold you to that shit the next time you visit. You thought you were getting on your knees for something fun?  _ No, bitch,  _ it’s time for prayers. Goodnight everyone, I’m Noel Miller and it was great being here!” 

He clocked in at six minutes and thirteen seconds with a final decibel reading of 95.6.  _ Not too shabby but not as high as I could have gotten,  _ he scolded himself. Despite his best efforts and natural charisma, his worry for Cody had caused him to miss a couple beats and mis-time a joke. It wasn’t his greatest performance but it definitely wasn’t his worst.

Noel’s brown eyes were locked with Cody’s the entire time Lucifer was doing his set. His heart held every hope in the world that they would be reunited shortly, even with a mis-timed joke. As the minutes ticked by and the audience laughed at joke after joke, Noel started to panic. Cody was looking at him with those big, frightened eyes and it tugged at the doctor’s soul in ways he never thought possible. His instinct to  _ protect  _ the blonde angel was unbearable. 

After Lucifer finished his final punchline and bowed for the audience, Noel gathered the courage to glance at the decibel reader. His already fluttering heart plummeted into his shoes. He wasn’t sure he could look back at Cody, who would know from the expression on Noel’s face that things were dire. Lucifer had clocked the audience at a 96. Just .4 decibels more than Noel had done.  _ Oh God, no. I’m not about to lose him for good; not like this.  _

The emcee walked onto the stage again, motioning for Lucifer and Noel to join him. “Alright gents, looks like we have a winner! With 96 decibels,  _ Lucas Morningstar  _ takes the win!” 

Lucifer bowed deeply for the clapping, cheering audience. Noel felt like he was going to hurl. He looked down at Cody with nothing but apologies sticking to the back of his throat.  _ Will Lucifer even let us say goodbye or will he just drag Cody away from me again? _ The blonde man had a single tear running down the side of his face and Noel was close to crying himself when the emcee spoke again, shocking both competitors: “ _ Unfortunately,  _ our boy Lucas went over the time limit by three seconds and is  _ disqualified.  _ Victory goes to my main man  _ Noel Miller!” _

“What!?” Lucifer cried, turning to glare at the emcee. The man holding the bedazzled mic took a nervous step back on instinct, “Three seconds? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Hey man, you both agreed to the rules before we started. Didn’t they?”

The audience cheered their agreement. Lucifer’s face turned beet red, verging on purple. Stomping his foot like a child the Devil shouted: “Fuck this!”

The personification of all evil stormed from the stage like a toddler throwing a fit. Much to Noel’s relief he disappeared completely, stalking through the left wing and out the door labeled  Exit to Alley . Glancing down into the audience, Noel saw that the demons restraining Cody had also vanished. The emcee chuckled nervously into the microphone to break the tension. “Sore loser, apparently. Everyone give it up for Noel Miller!”

Noel waved to the audience with both hands for a moment before turning to shake the emcee’s hand. “Thanks, dude. I appreciate the stage time.”

“I know you have a full time gig doing a real adult job, man, but if you ever want to get paid for a set, talk to the owner. He was really impressed with your show and with the audience responses tonight. Not to mention our drink sales are through the roof.”

“Thanks, I just might take you guys up on that offer sometime.”

“Will do, dude. Have a good one.”

“You, too.”

Then, as if in a trance, Noel was jogging down the steps that lead from the side of the stage to the floor of the venue. He wasn’t even really controlling his legs as he sped towards Cody, who was frozen in his seat, eyes wide and full of tears. The doctor scooped Cody out of the chair and lifted him into the air bridal-style. He pressed his forehead against Cody’s and whispered for only him to hear, “I’m never letting you go again.”

“Don’t,” Cody whispered. Noel crashed their lips together in front of everyone, uncaring and full of joy. He felt like he could have been flying as he strode from the room with Cody nestled safely against his chest.    
  


* * *

“You have a  _ house _ , now?” Cody asked as Noel let him in the front door. Noel couldn’t stop the blush that crept up his neck and threatened to spill over onto his cheeks; luckily his racial ambiguity hid most of it from his boyfriend. Cody was wandering through the living room, touching the furniture with his fingertips as if it was immaterial and would disappear any second.

“Yeah, it came with the position as third in command of the Oceanview Trauma Department. I have regular hours, a set roster of patients every month, and ER time is completely voluntary if I ever want more hours or anything.”

“Noel that’s...that’s amazing,” Cody beamed, turning to face the doctor. His smile faltered for a moment and then slid from his mouth completely, “I don’t have a job anymore. How am I going to help out financially?”

“Don’t worry, babe, I’m sure someone will hire you to write for them again.” Noel crossed the room and stood in front of Cody as the former angel continued his nervous rant.

“The Instagram I had before was fake. So was the job, the apartment, the belongings...I was a counterfeit human, Noel.”

“Hey,” Noel tipped Cody’s face up until they were making eye contact. He gave the blonde man a lingering kiss on the forehead to get his point across. “I’m doing fine financially, babe. Take your time, build your resume, and get a job that you enjoy. There’s plenty of time for you to find your human calling. Meanwhile, you can play housewife for me. How does that sound?”

“What does that entail, exactly?” Cody asked, stepping away from Noel again and into the kitchen. He gave the room a cursory glance. It was twice the size of the kitchen at Noel’s old apartment, with relatively new appliances and plenty of counter space. Cody could feel at home here. He certainly wouldn’t mind making dinner here or organizing parties for Noel’s new work friends.

“I don’t mean to sound old fashioned, but I wouldn’t mind if you cooked for me every once and awhile, Codes. I lived mostly on take-out before you came around and I lived on take-out again after you were...dragged off. I’m not asking you to be a maid or anything and I’ll pay for all the ingredients but _damn _did I miss your cooking, babe.”  
“Do you really mean it?”

“Yeah.”

“Of course I’ll cook for you, and while I’m looking for a job I’ll take care of the housework. I can sweep, mop, and do the laundry. It’s only fair,” Cody offered. He didn’t know what else he could do for the man who had saved him twice now. How many more times was Noel going to rescue him in this mortal lifetime they’d been gifted? When was he going to get the chance to save Noel?

“Babe, really, I just wanted to get another bowl of ramen out of you. Honest. I don’t need a maid or a cleaning lady or anything; I can even iron my own scrubs believe it or not.”

“I choose not.”

“You’re an asshole, you know, for an angel,” Noel teased, sidling up next to Cody and slinging a casual arm around his boyfriend’s waist. He pulled Cody up against him and glanced down into his boyfriend’s eyes; there was an intensity to this moment that neither of them had felt before. Things were different now. They both knew they belonged together. 

“I was technically an angel of Hell, so I don’t know what you were expecting.”

“Fair ‘nuff,” Noel smirked. He pulled Cody in for a kiss, letting the stress of the past week fade into nonexistence as their chests pressed together. They stayed like that for a minute, basking in the happiness of being with one another without any threats from the outside world. Eventually they pulled apart and Cody glanced up through his eyelashes. Noel's heart hit the inside of his rib-cage, overflowing with his feelings for the man in front of him. Cody's voice brought him back into reality.

“Hey Noel.”

“Yeah, Cody?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The potentially naughty stuff I promised will be appearing in a follow-up oneshot some time this week. Hope everyone had a fun Halloween!
> 
> Much love for my Short Kings. 
> 
> See ya on the flip side,   
TallQueen


End file.
